All Things Considered
by SaraNomed
Summary: While on the road called life, there are many twists and turns we run into, and what we feel is the "right" way isn't always right, nor is the "wrong" way entirely so either. What we are or aren't meant for are things only we can decide. Our trio knows this all too well, and they're about to find out just how quickly those turns can arise...(cover art by Shaami of deviantart)
1. Forcing One's Hand

It's strange how the seemingly smallest things can lead to the most significant. In this case, it all started with breakfast.

The sun had recently risen, bathing the campsite in a tiny clearing with a warm, golden glow. The remaining bits of last night's fire had died down to gray ashes, the barest wisps of smoke arising from them. Having awoken after a surprisingly good night's sleep, Jessie stretched in her sleeping bag, yawned loudly, and promptly awoke her partners.

"Hey! Rise and shine guys! It's time for breakfast! I'm hungry and I know you are too! Let's go; I have a good feeling about today!"

James and Meowth groaned in protest as she went to them and tore off the tops of their own sleeping bags, whistling cheerfully as she did so.

Sitting up, James rubbed his eyes, "Alright already! I'm awake..."

Meowth yawned as well, stiffly crawling out of his bag and standing, "We got anyting _for_ breakfast?"

Already a couple steps ahead, Jessie was starting a small fire and pulling items from their food supply bag, "We ate all the eggs, but we still have plenty of oats, even some honey!"

Still half-groggy, James pulled on his boots, picked up their large cooking pot and headed to a nearby, tiny stream, "I'll get some water..."

Sitting next to the fire and setting out their bowls, Meowth remarked, "Ya know what'd make dis meal even better? Some berries!"

Jessie smiled, "Why thank you Meowth! What a great idea! Hurry back!"

"Whaaa?! How come _I_ gotta-?"

"It was your idea! Now don't be long!"

The cat Pokemon regarded her for a second before cautiously saying, "Ya sure ya don't want me or Jimmy ta make breakfast? I mean..."

She glared daggers at him, easily inferring his meaning, "It's _oatmeal_ Meowth. I think even I can handle that."

He backed away under her withering stare, "Okay, okay! I'll get dem berries...think I saw some around here yesterday..." With that he padded off.

A minute later James returned with the pot full of water and settled it over the fire Jessie had prepared.

He yawned one more time and sat down on his sleeping bag to comb the tangles from his hair. Running his fingers through to get out the worst of it, he quietly watched Jessie humming to herself as she bustled about. Her own hair was, per usual, already sleek and knot-free, though she had yet to fully smooth it into her trademark spiral. It hung loosely around her, swishing audibly as she worked. He found himself staring. 'She's so beautiful...one of these days you coward...' he thought. Feeling his eyes on her, she glanced at him, and he swiftly looked down at the ground, feigning interest in something he saw there. She paused, frowning slightly. Lately, she had caught him staring at her quite a lot. It had been happening for a long time, but for a while she was never sure if he was actually looking at her or off into the distance. In recent weeks however, there was no doubt he was definitely watching her. She felt her face flush a tiny bit. 'Could it possibly be...?' she wondered. Shaking her head, she cleared any distracting thoughts and made a mental note to corner him about it later.

"Where's Meowth?" he finally asked.

Dumping a generous amount of oats into the pot, then deciding a little more wouldn't hurt, Jessie replied, "He volunteered to pick some berries for part of our breakfast!"

A short ways off, Meowth was beginning to regret opening his big mouth. So far he had not found a single berry and his stomach was beginning to remind him that he hadn't eaten yet. Several more minutes passed and he had finally resolved to quit his search, making up some excuse for coming back empty-handed when he heard a loud snuffling in the bushes just ahead-bushes that happened to contain a treasure trove of bright, ripe berries. He paused to consider his options. In front of him was the delicious, sweet fruit he craved, but also...well, who knows what kind of Pokemon was making those noises. Behind him was camp, and a very angry human if he didn't come back with something. Meowth sighed, unsure of what he feared more. Deciding to risk it, he tip-toed up to the berry bushes and stretched upward to try and grab some just as the source of the noise stepped into view.

It was a Teddiursa, it's arms full of berries and snout smeared with juicy pulp.

Meowth started to laugh at himself, "Heh! You fraidy-cat! Got yerself all scared for nothin'!"

A devious thought popped into his mind. Even the lowest berries were hard to reach, but this Teddiursa had already done the hard work...surely he wouldn't mind sharing with a fellow Pokemon, right?

Approaching the small bear, Meowth said, "Heeeey there lil' fella! Say, I'm really hungry-is dere any way you can give me some of dose?"

"Ursa?" it said, cocking it's head at him.

"Yeah, come on! Be a pal!"

The Teddiursa regarded him uncertainly, then turned and started to waddle away.

Meowth glared, "Hey! I asked nicely! Get back here!"

Dashing in front of him, Meowth blocked him and snapped, "You ain't even gonna lemme have one?!"

Teddiursa shook it's head and tried to get around him, but Meowth stopped him, grabbing the entire arm-load of berries away from him and started to walk away, laughing, "If dat's how you're gonna be, dis is what you get!"

Flopping down onto the ground, Teddiursa began to sniffle, then broke into loud sobs. Meowth ignored him, triumphantly carrying his prize back toward camp. Seconds later he heard a a louder, angrier growling and a huge shadow suddenly loomed over him. He stopped mid-step, too terrifed to look over his shoulder but also too scared not to. Turning just a little, he tried to scream but it died in his throat.

Jessie attempted to pry the spoon she was using to stir from the pan, and after struggling a bit finally succeded, taking a large, solidified lump of oatmeal with it. She sighed; maybe she _had_ put in a little too much after all.

Folding his arms behind his head, James said, "I think he got lost. Maybe we should-"

Jessie held up a finger, her head cocked to one side, "Shh! Do you hear that?"

"What?"

"I...think it's Meowth. But I hear something else too."

She stood, looking in the approximate direction of where she had heard the noise. James stood as well, now hearing what sounded distinctly like their furry partner's screams mixed with something he couldn't quite place.

They tensed, unsure of what to expect as the sound drew closer. Finally Meowth stumbled into the clearing, crying in terror and losing the last of the berries he was still clinging to. Jessie started to ask what was going on, but he shot past them and kept running.

" _RUN FOR IT!_ " he yowled.

Before they could react further, a huge, enraged Ursaring burst into view, shaking it's head and snarling. Jessie dropped the spoon she was still holding in horror. It glared at them, and for a bare moment they froze, unsure if it was going to attack, but one ear-splitting roar was enough to get them moving and racing in the direction Meowth had gone.

Catching up to him, the Ursaring hot on their heels, Jessie screeched, "What did you _do?!_ "

"And why did you lead it back to us?!" added James, swearing he could feel it's breath on his back.

"You guys can yell at me later but now _let's move it!_ " the Pokemon wailed.

They kept running, dodging around trees and shrubs, leaping over fallen logs and rocks, with the bear chasing them all the while.

"Look!" James gasped, pointing up ahead, "There's a small cave! We can fit in but it can't!"

Their lungs already burning, they put on a final burst of speed and dove into the tiny cave James had spotted. There was just enough room for them all to fit into it and huddle against the back, which they did as they waited to see if they had escaped. Unfortunately, Ursaring smelled them, and peered into their hiding spot. Growling, it reached in trying to get at them. They screamed and pressed themselves as far back as possible, Jessie lashing out and kicking at it's leg.

"Use your Pokemon!" pleaded Meowth.

The two humans looked at each other, their faces pale, "They're back at camp!" they cried.

Furious, Ursaring backed out and started throwing its full weight at the entrance to the little cave, slashing at the rock and trying to widen it enough to get inside. Small chunks of stone fell from the ceiling, bouncing off them as the bear's deafening roars echoed in the small space and with each minute it was getting closer and closer to grabbing them. Their hearts raced and they clung desperately to each other; they were utterly trapped.

"Meowth! Try talking to it!" begged James.

The cat shook his head, "I did! Dis is what happened!"

James looked at Jessie. Dust and bits of rock peppered her hair and clothes, as they did his. Her blue eyes were red from crying, tears streaming down her face and he couldn't ever remember seeing her this helplessly scared. It broke his heart. 'This isn't what I imagined...but if it's your last chance, and it looks like it may be...'

Grabbing ahold of her hands, he shakily said, "Jessie?!"

Her head jerked toward him and he continued, "I didn't want things to end this way-but I-if we don't-I just need you to know, I mean, that I-"

Abruptly, deciding it was getting bored and that they had learned their lesson anyway, the Ursaring stopped. It backed away, snorted disgustedly, and started lumbering away. They sat in that cave, frozen with fright and shock for quite a while, making sure the bear was truly gone. Finally, after Meowth saying he couldn't hear anything, they warily crawled out, shuddering at the deep gashes in the stone. They returned to camp without a word between them, too shaken for conversation. Upon returning, they were surprised to find all their stuff undamaged. Jessie finally broke the silence by suggesting they grab their things and get far away before the Ursuring decided it felt like coming back for round two.

Later that night, after a fruitless day of searching for their usual quarry, they set up camp in a hopefully Ursaring-free area. Long after dinner was eaten, plans were made for the following day and good-nights were exchanged, Jessie lay awake in her sleeping bag staring at the clear, star-studded sky. For once it wasn't her stomach keeping her up, but her thoughts. Frustrated, she finally threw off the top cover and stood, not bothering with her boots as she started walking, stopping when she reached a nearby cliff. Several large, flattened boulders lay at it's edge overlooking a wide valley. She plopped down onto the nearest one and hugged herself, again looking up into the night sky. Lost in thought, she was unaware that she was no longer alone until a hand touched her shoulder. With a start she spun around to see James sitting down next to her.

"Couldn't sleep either?" he asked.

She sighed heavily, "Of course not. It's not like anything happened today..." she rubbed her forehead, "I still can't believe Meowth did that-what did he think was going to happen?!"

"To be fair, seeing a Teddiursa doesn't _always_ mean there's an Ursaring nearby..."

Jessie looked up, too exhausted to blame the cat regardless, "I guess. I just...had such high hopes for today. I woke up feeling good for the first time in a while, I was sure we were going to-ugh!" she shook a fist at the air, "One of these days, we're gonna win if it's the last thing we do!"

Without a word between them to indicate the need, James held out his arm and she scooted over to lean against him. She flopped her head onto his shoulder as he soothingly rubbed her back.

James gave a halfhearted smile, reassuring himself as much as her, "That's the spirit!"

They sat quietly for a while until another thought crossed Jessie's mind, "Hey...back in that cave, what were you going to say?"

He froze. Facing down certain death had afforded him courage he didn't normally have, but now, in the peaceful, cool night that courage evaporated. Biting his lip, he stammered about it being nothing, but Jessie wasn't buying it.

She sat up and looked him square in the eyes, "Tell me."

James swallowed hard, feeling a bit like a Ratatta corned by an Ekans, "Really, nothing, it's-it's stupid and I..I can't..."

She suddenly and violently grabbed him by the collar with a furious snarl, "Listen up! I almost died today and I'm in _no_ mood for your lying bullshit! You're gonna tell me what it is or so help me-!"

Before he could fully think about what he was doing, James yelped out, "I'm in love with you!"

Now it was her turn to freeze. Her mouth fell open slightly and she let go of his shirt, falling back to sit on her heels. One hand went to her chest and she looked away. Her mind raced, 'I can't...this is...there's no way..."

Reading her reaction as rejection and feeling utterly humiliated, James got to his feet, tears blurring his vision, "There! I told you it was stupid!" he wiped a hand across his face, "Now you can yell at me, call me names, beat me up, whatever you want, because-"

The next thing he knew, her arms were around him as she hugged him from behind.

Very softly, so softly he could barely hear, she said, "I...was wondering which one of us was going to admit it first..."

He hardly dared to breathe, sure he was dreaming and he had heard her wrong, "...What?"

She loosened her arms and he slowly turned, braving a look at her face. Her cheeks were pink and she smiled at him. Now he was positive he was dreaming.

"Does...does this mean that...?"

"Mm-hmm..."

And then she was grabbing him by the collar again, only now it was to pull him in for a kiss. He was so startled by the sudden feel of her lips against his he stiffened, unable to really kiss her back. She pulled away and their eyes met, both at a rare loss for words. His heart nearly full to bursting with joy, a little of that courage from earlier found him. Cupping her face in his hands, he leaned in and returned her kiss properly this time. Her eyes fell shut and she hugged him close, fighting the fact that her knees were turning to jelly, thinking to herself, 'I _knew_ he'd be an amazing kisser...'

Breaking away, what had just happened still sinking in, his gaze flicked to the side and he mumbled, "Was...was that okay?"

Jessie exhaled loudly, "Way to ruin it, idiot!" but then she smiled again, "Yes. Definitely yes."

He gave her a shy, lop-sided grin and leaned his forehead against hers, "So...now what?"

She looked at him, for a moment unsure what he meant, but then she understood, "James this really doesn't change anything. We're still Team Rocket agents, we're still partners, and we still have a mission to accomplish. Which reminds me, we should probably try and get some sleep so we can actually be functional tomorrow."

"Good idea."

They stepped apart and headed back to camp, their hands intertwined and Jessie turning down his offer of lending her his boots for the walk. Once inside their sleeping bags, they said their good-nights and all was quiet, albeit briefly.

"Hey Jess?" whispered James.

"Hmm?"

"Can I pull my bag closer to yours?"

She rolled over and grinned mischievously at him, "You're already practically next to me. Trying to sleep with me already huh? Or just afraid of the dark?"

His face flushed red and he sputtered, "N-neither! I mean not that I-um, wouldn't ever- _I'm not afraid of the dark!"_

She snorted, "Of course you can. C'mere you blue-haired doofus!"

Wriggling like a Caterpie, James shimmied over so that he was now laying flush against her. He pulled one arm out of his bag to wrap around her, and she freed an arm to drape over his.

She gave him a small peck, "Alright, last time; goodnight."

"Good-night...I...love you."

"I love you too..."


	2. Truth and Love

The next morning, Jessie's eyes fluttered open as she awoke to the sound of wind gently rustling the trees, a Pidgey's soft cooing...and James snoring against the back of her neck. With a sigh she wiggled away enough to turn over and look at him. His hair was all a mess and a little trail of drool was stuck to his face. Rolling her eyes, she nonetheless smiled, gave him a kiss on the forehead and got herself up.

A few hours later, as they were drifting along in their balloon, they each had a pair of binoculars trained on the earth below. For quite a while they saw nothing unusual, until Meowth suddenly spotted what they had been looking for.

Waving a paw excitedly he called, "Hey! Twoips at two o'clock!"

Jessie and James ran to join him, peering in the direction he was. Sure enough, there they were, happily making their way down the road.

Setting down her binoculars, Jessie rubbed her hands together, "We haven't bothered them for quite a while here, so their guard will be down!"

"The element of surprise is ours today!" laughed James, picking up a burlap bag.

Meowth leapt up to grab the rope connected to the parachute valve, "Shall I lower us inta attack position?"

Jessie nodded with a grin, "Yes indeed! Smoke bombs ready James?"

He grabbed several from the bag he held, "Ready!"

Swinging her arm around to point at their targets, Jessie proclaimed, "Then let us relieve them of that electric rat once and for all!"

Screaming with an all-too-familiar mix of pain, rage and indignation, the trio soon found themselves flying away, though not in the manner they had hoped, not to mention empty-handed. Their tattered balloon flew alongside them as they arched through the sky.

"You lowered us too much Meowth!" snarled Jessie, her long hair whipping around her.

"Yeah?! Well Jimmy didn't use enough smoke bombs!" retorted the cat.

James glared at him, "Hey! We don't have that many left!"

They continued arguing, barely noticing they were starting their descent to the ground until Meowth pointed it out with a yelp, also noting the flock of Pidgey and Pidgeotto right in their path. They tried to avoid them, but couldn't change their course enough and collided head-on with the screeching, panicking flock. Feathers flew everywhere, Jessie and James falling right through them-but Meowth had gotten himself caught on the back of a none-too-happy Pidgeotto.

"Guuuuys!" he called frantically, though there wasn't much they could do but watch as the Pidgeotto bucked him off into the tree-tops a ways away.

Besides, they had their own impending impact to deal with...

James groaned in agony and opened his eyes. He wasn't sure how long he'd been out, but it couldn't have been too long, since the sun was still right overhead. His head and back ached the worst, and rubbing them gingerly, he slowly sat up to further assess the damage to his person.

"Jessie? Meowth?" he called weakly.

"Over here..." came a quiet reply.

Turning his head with a wince, he spied Jessie sitting among the ragged remains of their balloon. She was staring off in the distance, cradling one arm against herself while picking bits of leaves and feathers from her hair. She had a hollow, far-off look in her eyes, as if in shock.

James slowly pulled himself to his feet and went over to her, "You okay?"

He was met with a sudden, furious glare, the Jessie he knew returning in an instant, "What the hell do you think?!" she said coldly.

Shrinking back a little, he noticed with alarm the splashes of blood on the ground around her feet.

"Jessie! You're hurt!?" he cried as he reached out to her, only to have his hand slapped away.

"Oh stop it! I'm fine! It's-it's just a scratch!" she snapped.

"Not with that amount of blood!" he replied, curbing his rising panic as he tried and failed once again to get a look at her injury, "Come on, please let me see it!"

Standing, she stepped away from him, "I said _I'm fine!_ Now stop babying me and let's get start getting this stupid balloon repaired!"

Angrily grabbing ahold of the green basket's edge, she tried to wrestle it upright, but quickly slipped and fell backwards with a cry of pain and surprise, a smear of blood across the wicker.

James lunged forward and caught her, "That's enough! Jessie I know you're upset but this isn't going to get us anywhere. Let me help you; I love you and-"

She wrenched away to stand on her own, again distancing herself from him, "And what's that done for you so far, huh?!"

Something about her mannerism and how she refused to make eye contact set him on edge, "...What?"

Planting her hands on her hips, despite the obvious pain her injured arm was bringing her, Jessie said resolutely, "I think we should just forget last night ever happened."

Feeling his heart slam straight to his boots, James fought back his knees giving way but not the tears welling in his eyes, "Jess...no..."

Hearing how his voice cracked, she knew she couldn't look him in the eyes now or her resolve may crumble, "Oh come on!" she continued, casually waving a hand, "We're villains; villains don't fall in love and have happy endings and all that fairy-tale crap. Besides, it would be a distraction. And then there's Meowth making snide remarks all the time...not to mention 'interrupting' things...'

She turned on her heel and went back to their downed transport, this time grabbing ahold of a section of the balloon itself and trying to straighten it out in order to examine the extent of the damage. Even this was terribly painful, though she still bit back the urge to make a show of it. She could feel his gaze on her back and knew she had hurt him, but it was for the best...right?

James took a slow, deep breath to steady himself to speak. The last thing he needed right now was to break down into a sobbing mess. He had seen this pattern before, he knew what was going on, and he refused to let it go this time, _especially_ this time.

Squaring his shoulders, he said sternly, "Jessie, I know what you're doing. You're hurt, and you're angry, frustrated, and...scared. So you put on this big tough front and act like you don't care and you're better off alone because it's easier than putting your trust in someone!" his voice rose involuntarily as he spoke, clenching his fists and shaking, "But I know you. I can see right through this little act and I'm calling you out on it! How long have you known me?! How many times have I abandoned or hurt you? I know you still compare me to people who have harmed or used you and _I hate it_ because I know that you know I'm not like that and now you're just going to throw away any chance of us having something because of your inability to move on!"

She stared at him, stunned by this rare show of blunt honesty, not to mention the fact that he was absolutely right. Even as she had forced herself to sound as convincing as possible, even as her mind, willpower and heart tried desperately to harden themselves, his words cut through her defenses like they were nothing.

Before she knew what she was saying, she uttered, "I'm sorry..."

He did a double-take, looking up from the ground at her, "What?" he said again.

"I'm...sorry. You're right. I'm pissed and lashing out, and well, you're the only one around...I'm not saying it's justified I'm only trying to explain why..." she started to peel off her now blood-soaked glove, "Can...can you help me wrap this thing up?"

With a nod he went to the basket, fishing out the first-aid kit they always kept nearby. She had sat down on a nearby log and was staring sourly at the dirt. He sat down next to her, opening the kit and pulling out the necessary supplies. Removing his own gloves and trying not to lose it at the sight of her bloodied arm, he went to work cleaning and disinfecting the series of gashes all along the limb, mumbling apologies whenever she hissed from the stinging.

After a minute of silence, Jessie said, "Thank you."

"Of course...I'm not just going to let you get some sort of nasty infection here-"

She shook her head, "That's not what I mean. Well, yes, this, and also for...talking some sense into me. I hate it whenever someone sees through me but sometimes I think...I need it. Just a little."

His shoulders sank a little, "Well, you're welcome...I just wish that..."

"Hmm?"

"That we could still..."

She used her free hand to turn his face toward hers, smiling, "Didn't you hear me, stupid? I said you were right."

James' eyes widened with realization and her heart leapt a little at the huge, adorable grin spread across his face, "So you really mean that we're not done?!"

Rolling her eyes she replied, "Aaand he's got it!"

He grabbed her in a hug, almost forgetting her injury and laughed joyfully as he openly cried. She chuckled herself, sighing and prying him off of her as she reminded him her arm still needed some attention. Plucking a roll of gauze and another of tape from the kit, he set back to work on her wounds with a decidedly cheerier mannerism.

"I have to tell you one thing though." she said.

"Yes?"

Looking him straight in the eyes, her face harder, she explained, "I'm not going to make any promises. I can't promise things will work out happily-ever-after. And I can't promise I'll change for you; I'm still going to be me. I'll still be the boss, I'm still going to get angry with you, yell at you, take things out on you. I can try not to, but as I said no promises. Knowing all that, you still want to be with me?"

He threw his head back and laughed, "Jessie, I'd be more worried if you _did_ change anything about yourself because of me! I know what I'm getting into. I've known for a long time. And I'm still here," he wrapped the last piece of tape around her bandage, "There! All better. Let's go find Meowth-I'm pretty sure he landed nearby...I hope."

He stood and offered a hand, which she accepted. Getting to her feet, she tugged him a little closer and kissed his cheek. Pulling back, their eyes locked and a singular thought, a singular need was shared between them. Winding their arms around each other, they pressed their lips together and not even Pikachu's thundershock compared to the jolt that passed between them. She pulled him tighter against herself, molding her body into his as her kisses became deeper and more fervent. He slid his hands from her shoulders down her back to her hips, relishing the touch of her silky skin. An involuntary moan rose in his throat, and at that she suddenly pushed him down to sit on the log again, sitting with him and straddling his lap. Pausing to catch their breath, she glanced at his body's obvious reaction to her and grinned coyly as his face flushed bright red and he started to sputter an apology.

She shushed him with a finger to his lips, "I'll take that as a compliment..." and leaned in to kiss him again.

Not a minute later they heard a faint but nearby, familiar voice calling for them. They looked in it's direction, then at each other in shared panic.

"We forgot about Meowth!" they cried in unison.

Disentangling themselves, they scrambled to their feet and bounded in his direction, calling out to him. They quickly found him, hobbling along using a stick to steady himself, his cream-colored fur smeared with dirt and full of burs.

The feline narrowed his eyes at them, "What took ya so long!?"

Days passed, with neither of them speaking about the new direction their partnership had taken. There had formed an unspoken agreement that there was no need; what needed to be said had been, for now at least. The occasional knowing smile, hand squeeze or quick peck on the cheek was more than enough for each to know the other still felt the same. Besides this, they found themselves quite busy with their latest plans. After putting their heads together and discussing what had gone wrong with their previous schemes, they devised one that they felt confident would actually work. Thus, one sunny, hot day, they set themselves up in a large clearing in the path of but far ahead of the 'twerps' after spotting them earlier.

James stared at the pile of supplies in front of him, scratching his head, "I know we already decided this was a good plan guys but...are you sure?"

Meowth rolled his eyes, "C'mon Jimmy; have some faith will ya?!"

Jessie added as she lifted the large, heavy plastic ball that was part of their contraption, "He's right! A confident attitude will help improve our prospects."

"I suppose...are you sure that thing is unbreakable Jess?"

With a grin, Jessie lifted it above her head and dashed it to the ground, where it bounced back to her arms, "See? Completely shatter-proof! Also electric-proof, of course, as well as fire, ice, and just about anything else those brats can throw at us!"

James studied a bundle of insulated cables, "This looks about long enough to run from the ball to our balloon's boosters..."

Meowth nodded, "I measured it myself. So when dat Pikachu lets loose wit a thunderbolt-and we know he will-all dat electricity will go from de ball he's in ta de cables ta our engines an' presto! We're outta here, minus four brats an' plus one Pikachu!"

Jessie giggled, "We'll use that rat's own power against it! I love it!" she thrust the ball into James's arms, "Well, better hurry up and finish building this thing! I can already taste victory!"

Frowning, James asked, "Me?! And just what are you going to do?"

She smiled sweetly and patted his arm, "Why, I'm going to be right over here in the shade, reading the directions just in case you need any help, but I'm sure you won't, and making us some lunch!"

At his and Meowth's unsure faces she snorted, "Oh for heaven's sake I think I can make a few sandwiches!"

James turned with a resigned sigh, muttering that she just didn't want to do any actual work. Dragging the needed tools and supplies to another shady spot, he got himself set up. Meowth decided to go for a short walk, Jessie snidely reminding him not to pick any berries this time and getting a sour glare in return. After a few minutes, James wiped a hand across his sweaty brow and decided that even without his jacket he was too hot, so he tugged his shirt off and casually tossed it onto a nearby branch. The movement caught Jessie's eye, and she looked up from her sandwich-making. Her heart skipped a beat and suddenly the heat of the day wasn't the only thing making her hot. 'Dammit woman!' she chastised herself, 'Get a grip! It's not like you haven't seen the man shirtless before, or in swim trunks...or a tutu. But my oh my...maybe this _does_ change things more than I thought...' Despite her best attempts to brush it off, she found her gaze glued to him and the heat in her belly growing worse. Feeling her eyes on him, James paused and looked at her curiously.

With a tiny shriek, she leapt to her feet, "Foodsdoneokaygonnagogetsomewateryeahberightback!" and took off.

He blinked and cocked his head, "...What was that all about?"

A short ways off, Jessie leaned against a tree, clutching her arms and taking deep breaths to calm herself.

"What the hell is this!?" she said to the sky, "I'm acting like a hormonal teenager! But then again..." she bit her lip and groaned, "If he's that good of a kisser, I can only imagine...ack! Focus Jessie! Work first, play later!" sighing, she rubbed her temples, "This is going to be more difficult than I thought."


	3. The Stars Above

It went without saying that their 'unbreakable', Pikachu-powered ball plan didn't exactly work out that day, or the other couple subsequent ones they tried. Nor was it long before her prediction came true. Over the next couple weeks, no matter how they tried to avoid it, they frequently found themselves becoming distracted by the other. They might be working on food, or repairing some equipment, and soon find themselves slowing to a near halt as they snuck glances at each other. More than once, James burned his fingers making food while doing this. The often lengthy amounts of time they spent in their balloon with little to do except play card games or snooze didn't help. They felt like two magnets constantly being pulled together, both wondering how much longer it would be before they gave in to the attraction completely.

Meowth, not being stupid or blind, had also noticed the change between them. For a little while he tried to tell himself he was imagining things, then he chose to ignore it, until finally he snapped one morning at breakfast when his curiosity got the better of him.

Dropping his empty bowl and slamming his paws on the ground in front of him, he demanded "Allll right! _Dat's it!_ What's goin' on wit you two?!"

Jessie paused with her spoon half-way to her mouth, "What _are_ you talking about?"

Having a strong hunch as to their furry friend's meaning, James looked up and away, feigning ignorance, "Indeed Meowth, what's this about?"

Meowth flattened his ears and glared, standing up, "Don't play dumb wit me! Dere's somethin' goin' on here an' I intend ta figure out what it is!"

When they continued to stare at him blankly, the Pokemon jabbed an accusing finger at them, "You two haven't tried ta kill eachudda in a couple weeks! You barely been fightin' or arguin' either! Come ta think of it, ya haven't been kickin' me around neither! Not dat I'm complainin' about dat but somethin' ain't right an' I wanna know!"

Neatly setting her bowl down, Jessie crossed her arms, "Very well. We'll tell you."

James' eyes widened and he frantically tried to get her attention, to no avail.

Meowth broke into a toothy grin, "Well, well, well-from da way Jimmy's actin' dis outta be good!"

Groaning, James covered his face with his hands as Jessie cleared her throat, "To tell you the truth..." she suddenly leapt to her feet and booted him so that he flew into a nearby tree, "IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, CAT!"

Sliding to the ground, Meowth rubbed the back of his head and glowered at her, "Well, dat's more like it...I guess."

That night, finding herself struck by insomnia once again, Jessie wandered off from camp and found a small clearing to settle herself in. The long, cool grass around her rustled lightly in the night breeze and she sighed, sitting down to nestle into it. After another long, hot day the cooler but still warm night air felt wonderful. A half-moon was out, providing just enough light to see the shadow that appeared next to her.

"That had better be you James." she said firmly.

"Last time I checked I was."

Rolling her eyes, she tilted her head back to look up at him with a half-grin, "Yes, you can join me."

He flopped down beside her and stretched his arms up, then folded them behind his head as he fell back onto the grass, "Thinking about some new plans? If you are I have a few ideas of my own."

"I'm sure you do," she chuckled, "And yes, I was plotting our next move. That aaand...thinking about what Meowth was saying earlier."

"...Hmm." he said simply after a moment of silence.

"I didn't think we were that obvious..." she mumbled, pulling her knees up to her chest.

James sat up, "Do you think...we should just tell him?"

With a grimace Jessie said, "No way! I meant what I said about it not being his business. Also about him probably making smart remarks. It would drive us nuts, admit it. On top of that," she pulled out a few pieces of grass and twirled them in her fingers, "Just our luck the next time we contacted the boss he'd open his big fat mouth and blabber about it...and you know how the man feels about agents having relationships."

James' shoulders sank, "You make a good argument Jessie. But he's not an idiot; sooner or later, one way or another, he's going to find out."

She rubbed her temples, "Ugh, I know, I know! See this is why I was unsure about this whole thing; it's complicated and a pain and we have enough of that in our lives!"

Swallowing hard, his heart beginning to pound and trying to control his voice James asked worriedly, "I..I thought we...?"

Looking up at him, Jessie smiled wearily, "Don't worry you dork; I'm not breaking up with you. I'm just saying that if we're going to do this, it isn't going to be easy."

James exhaled loudly, then perked back up, "Since when have we ever taken the easy route my dear Jess?"

"Good point."

"But can you imagine if he finds out by...um, walking in on things?" he snorted.

"Ewww! _James!_ " she laughed and gave him a playful punch, which was still strong enough to cause him to wince.

In response, he grinned and gave her a little shove back. She gasped and scolded him with feigned indignation and shoved him a little harder. Both laughing by now, they continued this until James finally pushed her a little too hard and ended up losing his balance, knocking them both over with him falling on top of her.

They froze, all laughter gone, the electricity between them palpable and both recalling the last time they had been in this situation.

 _-A final, mighty pull and they managed to hoist him up and out of the hole he had nearly fallen down, the force of it knocking Meowth aside and causing him to land on top of her. They paused, staring at each other with wide eyes and panting breath from the effort they had just expended, but also from...this. She felt her face flush red and both had the sudden and fierce urge to just-but then their feline friend popped up and reality came crashing back down...-_

With a single, common thought they kissed each other urgently, that built-up tension finally coming to a head. Both feeling they'd made the same mistake back then, they vowed not to repeat it as they let their passion break free. She arched her back, pressing her body against his with a moan as he moved his lips to her neck. A part of his brain was in a panic, screaming at him to stop, but he managed to shove those thoughts aside, vowing that this time, of all times, he would not be a coward. To that end he went to her exposed abdomen, kissing her soft skin as she sighed loudly and played with his hair. Scooting back, she sat up and he did the same, gliding his hands up her sides as she slid onto his lap. Kissing him again and grabbing ahold of his hand, she guided him higher, hoping he'd get the hint. He broke away and glanced questioningly at her, but seeing the devious, lustful gleam in her eyes removed any doubt. Slipping his hand underneath her top he gently gripped her breast, rubbing his thumb over the taut bud. Groaning, she tilted her head back and though he was already terribly aroused this just made it worse. The adrenaline surging, she grinned at him, tugging her skirt up and out of the way and rocked her hips forward to grind herself against him.

A whimpering moan escaped his throat and he pressed his face against her neck, "J-Jessie..?!"

Hands shaking, intoxicated by lust and her scent filling his lungs, he reached for his belt, her own hands joining his after a moment-but then she froze. Something in the back of her mind had cried a warning, that no, although this was right, it wasn't...the time.

Pulling her hands away she stuttered, "Wait-wait..umm...I don't think we should..."

Blinking, plunging back to reality, he paused with his hands still on his belt, "What? I thought-oh!" letting go his face flushed red, "I'm-I'm sorry I thought that you...that we-ah jeez!" he hung his head and wished he could make himself disappear, tears already falling and completely humiliated, "This is what I get for trying to be brave for once! Dammit I don't want to be a coward anymore but when I...I am so sorry..."

Jessie grabbed his face, "Look at me."

Slowly, reluctantly, he raised his eyes to meet hers.

"Stop that," she said with a firm yet kind tone, "You have nothing to be sorry for. I thought I wanted to as well. But something inside me just felt like...like I wasn't quite ready..." now it was her turn to blush, "Trust me, you did nothing wrong!"

His smile returning a little, they untangled themselves, swiftly fixed their disheveled clothes, and sat side-by-side. She laid her hand on his knee and he put one arm around her shoulders as they quietly enjoyed the stars and each others company.

James cleared his throat, "Jessie...?"

"Hmm?"

"...To be perfectly honest, I'm...not completely sure I would have been, ha, ready either. So, maybe this worked out for the best?"

"There! See, things always work out, one way or another."

Looking down at his feet, James swallowed loudly, "Where do we go from here?"

She sat up to turn and look at him, a small smile across her face, "The same as with everything else, James...We'll take it one day at a time. And we'll go from there."

The next couple days were a bit awkward as their experience had made them, whether they liked it or not, acutely aware of each others very presence and the hyper-charged physical attraction between them. Though they had come to an understanding, the residual embarrassment made things a little rough. Every time their eyes met they quickly looked away, or their hands brushed they'd pull back, or if they bumped into each other there were mumbled apologies. And as much as Meowth questioned them about it, they gave him no information. In short order, however, they managed to get over it, settling back into a familiar routine. Jessie even felt bold enough to start deliberately teasing him; walking past him in only her skirt and undershirt, or yawning and stretching seductively when they got up in the morning. From this James realized she was indeed not upset with him for their misunderstanding, and feeling much better about the whole thing and their relationship in general, his mood and energy improved ten-fold as they went back to intentionally coming in contact with each other.

It also helped that they suddenly found themselves quite busy, for soon afterward they received orders from headquarters to infiltrate a local Pokemon Center and re-direct a shipment of supplies to a new base that was being set up. It took a couple days to successfully re-route the computer codes to send it to the "correct" place, but they managed it, and as their superiors were pleased with the results, they were given several more assignments in the area. The trio decided that if they were going to be sticking around, they were in need of a more permanent residence. Luckily, the same day they were given their assignments, in the late afternoon they happened across a cozy little cabin in a large clearing at the end of a rough gravel road. After scouting out the place and not seeing any signs of occupancy, they tried a more direct approach; peeking in the windows and finally, simply knocking on the front door-in disguises of course.

Meowth muttered as they rapped on the door, "Ain't no way dey gonna believe magazine salesmen come out dis far!"

Jessie adjusted her tie, "Shut up cat. It'll be fine."

After several attempts with still no answer, they decided it was theirs for the "borrowing" and James swiftly picked the lock. Once inside, they looked around to make certain it was indeed unoccupied. Leaping onto a counter, Meowth discovered a very helpful calendar with a date circled in red.

"Hey guys!" he called with a laugh, waving it around, "Dis ting says dey won't be back for a month! Until den it's ours!"

"This must be a seasonal residence then," said James as he opened various cupboards, grinning as he found a large box of cookies, "Well, if they won't be back for that long, we should help them with this food! Don't want it to go bad after all!"

Jessie darted out from the bathroom, a huge smile on her face, her eyes wide and shining, _"This place has a jacuzzi tub!"_ then ran back in, slamming the door, "It's mine! A lady needs a proper bath sometimes and it's been way too long! I need a good, long one for the sake of my mental and physical health!"

With a sneer Meowth said, "It'd take a lot more den dat!"

A few minutes later, the tub was filled and Jessie slipped into the warm, fragrant water, "Aaah...oh how I've missed this!" she sighed, leaning against the back.

Deciding to relax a bit before working on her hair, she closed her eyes and let her mind drift. It wasn't long before her thoughts returned to a week ago-had it been a week already? She blew some bubbles out of her face and glared at the wall as she scolded herself; what had stopped her again? It wasn't like her body hadn't wanted him, oh no, there was no doubt there. She shuddered a little, remembering the feel of his hands on her skin. And it wasn't as if her heart didn't love or trust him. So it must have been..?

"Stupid brain..." she grumbled, "Well, I guess when you're _actually_ ready, I'll know..."

While Jessie enjoyed her bubble bath, sampling the selection of soap and hair products she discovered in a sleek cabinet, the male two-thirds of the group raided the kitchen and settled down on the couch to watch TV. After a short squabble over the remote, they settled on each having control of it for one half-hour then switching. James had even found a half-case of beer and chose to try one. He wrinkled his nose at the bitterness but ultimately decided it wasn't _that_ bad. The only real 'problem' with their accommodations, they found, was that the air-conditioner was not working. Luckily they had plenty of cold drinks in the fridge to help with that. They enjoyed eating their goodies, watching TV, and laughing together for a while, relishing the fact that little, normal things such as this were out of their reach most of the time. Finally, James realized that Jessie still hadn't joined them and expressed it aloud.

"Meh, maybe she got lost. Or fell asleep." said Meowth nonchalantly, stuffing another chip in his mouth.

James's heart skipped a beat; there was an actual possibility that after their busy day, in a relaxing bath, she could fall asleep..and what if..?

He vaulted off the couch, crumbs flying, startling Meowth as he skidded to the bathroom door and knocked frantically, "Jessie?! Are you okay? I-"

The door popped open, and there she stood, one hand on her hip, the other on the door-frame, looking mildly annoyed. He froze with one hand still in the air. She was wrapped in a white, satiny robe, her long hair hanging all around and framing her, it's deep red-pink sharply contrasting the robe. He felt his heart nearly stop again, for a completely different reason.

"For heaven's sake what is it? Are the cops here?" she sighed.

James started to speak but only manged a few stuttered words before she chuckled, rolled her eyes, grabbed a hairbrush off the counter behind her and walked past him, saying, "If you had to pee that bad you could have gone outside. Now what do we have for food in this place?"

She joined them on the couch, and much to their annoyance, claimed the remote for herself. Before long, however, they found a game show they all approved of. They spent the next several hours as James and Meowth had; stuffing their faces, watching the TV and just having a rare, fun, relaxing time. They groaned as people got the wrong answers on game shows, cheered on the lead horse in Rapidash races, threw popcorn at the screen and jeered whenever the good guys triumphed on any show. At one point, Jessie yawned quietly and snuggled closer to James, resting her head on his shoulder.

Slipping his arm around her, he smiled contentedly and sighed, "I wish we could do this more often."

Meowth glared sideways at them, his suspicions arising once again, but with great effort kept quiet.


	4. Can't Catch a Break

A little more time passed before Jessie stood, yawned loudly and stretched, announcing that they could do what they wanted but _she_ was going to bed.

Leaning over, she whispered lowly in James' ear, "Care to join me?"

She grinned at the shade of red his face turned and how much he tensed up as he said, "M-maybe later. I'm not sleepy yet."

With a little shrug she replied, "Suit yourself." and sauntered away to the bedroom, her robe swishing and throwing James a sly wink over her shoulder. She had to admit; the power she knew she had over him was down-right addictive.

He turned back around to the TV, exhaling loudly and ignoring Meowth's inquisitive look.

Moments later she came dashing back out and squealed, _"They have luxury satin sheets too!_ They're at least eight hundred thread count! Let's stay here as long as we can!" and danced back inside with a delighted giggle, shutting the door behind her.

After watching a few more cartoons, Meowth yawned himself and said, "Yeah, I tink I'm gonna turn in too."

James gestured to the TV, "Come on! Right in the middle of a Dom and Harry marathon? This was my favorite cartoon when I was a kid...whenever I could get away with watching cartoons, that is."

"Whattaya mean ' _was_ a kid'?" Meowth teased, snickering as James stuck his tongue out at him, "I'm real tired-it's been a long day. Besides, de whole cat-n'-mouse, always chasin' yer target but neva catchin' it ting is hittin' a little close ta home, ya know?"

His shoulders drooping slightly, James looked at the screen for a moment before changing the channel, "...Yeah."

Meowth stood and hopped off the couch, turning around to say, "Didn't mean ta ruin it for ya Jimmy..."

Forcing a small smile, James replied, "Don't sweat it."

Padding toward the bedroom, Meowth said, "Speakin' of when you was a kid, I betcha had dese nice sheets all da time! I'm gonna see what's it like for myself."

"Have fun with that." called James over the couch, picking up the half-eaten bowl of popcorn.

Coming back toward him a little, Meowth grinned, "Don't be too long now-Jess'll be waitin' for ya!"

James whipped around and tried to glare at him, but the knowing sneer the feline was shooting back caused it to turn into an ineffective pout.

'Dammit...he _knows_...'

Still attempting to maintain a cool, annoyed demeanor, James snatched one of the throw-pillows off the couch and flung it at him, "Go to bed Meowth!"

Sniggering, the Pokemon easily dodged it and slipped into the room.

James settled back into the couch cushions and sighed heavily, staring blankly at the wall for a minute before deciding to mindlessly channel-surf, trying to distract his brain from the depressed thoughts it wanted to wallow in.

He awoke hours later with a startled yelp, sitting bolt-upright, momentarily forgetting where he was in his sleep-fogged stupor. The TV was still on, an infomercial for some kind of cleaning product loud in the silence around him. Rubbing his eyes, he reached for the remote and turned the volume down then squinted at a wall-clock, noting it was about half past four. Realizing suddenly how hot and muggy it was, he tugged his shirt off and set it on the back of the couch. Flopping back down, he draped one arm over his face and tried to ignore the fact that his normally comfy pants were, at the moment, quite _un_ comfortable. He gritted his teeth, cursing his body and it's occasional habit of making sleep, or getting up in the morning, difficult or awkward. What even was the problem this time? Images from his dream began to seep into his conscious mind, and then he abruptly understood. Moving his arm, he stared at the ceiling, trying not to think about them, but they burrowed into his mind's eye and try as he might, he couldn't resist going over them.

 _He stood somewhere unknown and alone, but then, appearing like an angel, she was there. The white robe swirled and moved with her as she swaggered up to him, practically floating and giving him her most sultry smile..._

He rolled over on his side, his heart-rate increasing and attempting not to think on it further, but he couldn't, and deep down, didn't want to stop.

 _She tugged the robe's belt and it fell, forming an opalescent pool at her feet. He gasped at the sight of her. And then her arms were around him as she stood on her toes and whispered into his ear, "So what are you going to do about it?"_

Flipping onto his back, he grabbed another pillow and pressed it into his face, muffling his frustrated groans. Tossing it aside, he sat up and listened carefully. Sure enough, he could hear them both snoring. Laying back down, he knew now that there was only one way he was going to be able to relax enough to get any more sleep. Trembling a little and closing his eyes, his heart racing, he slipped one hand inside his pants and let the dream-images run freely.

 _Falling together, tearing off his own clothes as they went...her lips on his...exploring each other...kissing her between her soft thighs, her moans and sighs encouraging him...their bodies tangled together, bringing each other to dizzying heights of pleasure unlike anything they'd ever imagined..._

It wasn't long before his free hand gripped a fist-full of couch, arching his back and desperately biting back crying out as his release hit him, slamming through his body like a wave. He drew deep breaths as it subsided, shaking and melting back into the cushions. A calm, soothing feeling washed over him and he smiled, sinking into it. A part of him wanted to get up and go join his companions, also reasoning that when was the next time he'd have the chance to enjoy a little luxury, but his limbs refused to obey. As he drifted off into sleep he thought wistfully, 'I wonder...if dreams really ever do come true...'

He awoke again to sunlight streaming through the windows and Jessie standing over him and jabbing him in the head, saying loudly, "Hey! You gonna sleep all day? Get up, we have things to do!"

Groggy, he rolled over and sat up, rubbing his face and trying to fully awaken. Looking around, he saw Meowth standing on a chair in the kitchen, humming cheerfully and flipping pancakes.

Jessie disgustedly picked up a couple chip bags and asked him, "So I see you stayed here all night. Fell asleep watching TV I guess?"

"Uh-huh."

"I can't imagine you slept very well on this thing."

He blushed involuntarily as the surely suicidal thought crossed his mind, 'Actually my dear, I slept quite well after pleasuring myself while thinking about you.'

Noticing the mild panic on his face she raised an eyebrow at him. Waving his hands to say it was nothing, he quickly scrambled to his feet and went into the bathroom, Jessie calling after him to hurry up if he wanted any breakfast.

Later, drifting along in the balloon on the way to their next mission (hacking into a Pokemon research lab for all their information, and of course stealing any Pokemon they could get their hands on), Jessie noticed Meowth had his headphones on and was engrossed in a hand-held video game. He was terrible at them, not really having hands, yet he enjoyed them nonetheless. Standing, she went over to James leaning on the railing and took the opportunity to ask him a question.

"So, what was that all about this morning?"

He blinked, "What was what?"

"Don't be cute. When I asked you if you had slept well you blushed. Why?"

The red in his cheeks returned, "N-nothing! It was just...uh..."

Jessie glared at him, "You know I'll get it out of you one way or another, so you might as well make it easier on yourself and fess up."

Knowing she was right, he bit his lip and looked up at nothing in particular, "I...Ihadadreamaboutyou."

Leaning a little closer, she smirked, "Oh _really?_ Was it a good dream?"

His blush deepened and she giggled, "Ah, it was! So you had _that_ kind of dream about me huh?"

She could have told him that he wasn't alone; she too had had the occasional dream involving their passionate love-making, but decided it was more fun, for the moment, to let him squirm. There was always later for such conversations, and besides, she had plans for that night.

Instead she patted his arm, "It's okay, I'm not going to beat you up or anything!"

"That's good to hear!" he said sheepishly.

"In fact," she whispered into his ear, "I'm sure it gave you some...ideas."

He shot her a tight-lipped smile, his face completely red, "You're rotten."

"Why, thank you." she proudly grinned, giving his cheek a peck.

That evening, after another successful assignment, they were making their way back to their 'borrowed' cabin, landing and hiding the balloon a ways off so as not to arouse the suspicion of any passerby. As they got closer, however, Meowth suddenly stopped.

"Didja hear dat?" he asked, cocking his head and putting a paw to his ear.

Jessie crossed her arms, "No, I don't hear anything. Now let's go, I could use another bath!"

She started to step forward, but James grabbed her arm, "Hold on, he's right. I hear something. it sounds like...voices."

"And...sirens...?" Meowth added, his eyes widening.

The trio looked at each other, the same panicked thought going through their minds as they quickly and stealthily made their way closer and hoped they were wrong. Unfortunately, as they crouched behind some shrubs and parted them to get a better look, their fears were confirmed. Several police cars were parked in front of the cabin, a group of officers milling about, some with their Growlithes, as they took pictures and talked to a couple of very upset looking people in civilian clothes.

"What's going on here?!" Jessie hissed, "That can't be the owners!"

James looked at Meowth, "Are you certain you read that calendar right?"

The feline swallowed loudly, glancing nervously at Jessie, "I tink so! I coulda sworn it said dey wouldn't be back for a month!"

Slowly, Jessie asked, "And _what_ month was it on currently...?"

Meowth tapped his chin, thinking back, then finally shrugged, "T'be honest, I dunno-I didn't look!"

Jessie's eye twitched and she grabbed Meowth by the back of the neck, shaking him, "You stupid little-! It was probably on _this_ month which would explain how _they're here already!_ "

Sighing heavily, James lamented, "So much for our five-star accommodations. Well, it was fun while it lasted, right?"

Jessie dropped Meowth and wailed, "It's not fair! We finally get a decent place to stay and food and hot baths and then it-"

Clapping their hands, or paws, over her mouth, James and Meowth hissed at her to be quiet or they were going to get caught. The Growlithe nearest them pricked his ears and they froze, hardly daring to breathe. Turning his head toward them, the Pokemon stood, sniffing the air.

Looking down at him, his trainer asked, "What is it boy? Did you find something?"

Taking a few more sniffs, his eyes narrowed and he raised his head with a triumphant howl, yanking at his leash and pawing at the air in the trio's direction. The other Growlithes copied him, all struggling against their leashes and yipping excitedly.

"Sonuva-!" Jessie cried as they scrambled to their feet and bolted back toward their balloon.

Unhooking their leashes, the Growlithes' trainers commanded them to pursue and attack if necessary, running behind them. The half-dozen canines took off at a gallop, barking enthusiastically as they gave chase. Despite the head-start the trio had, the Pokemon were swiftly gaining on them.

"Good job Jess!" Meowth yowled.

"Shut up!" she snarled, "If you had read that calendar right-!"

Barely avoiding a branch whipping him in the face, James added in frustration, "Meowth has a point you know!"

The seething look she shot him let him know he was in for it later.

Suddenly, one of the Growlithes appeared right at their side and they yelped, changing course. Moments later, it happened on their other side and they again dodged him. Leaping over some bushes, they found themselves facing a virtual wall of downed trees. Turning, they saw with sick dismay they were surrounded. All the Growlithes had formed a half-circle behind them, cutting off their escape route.

"Dey herded us here!" hissed Meowth.


	5. I Surrender

Jessie clenched her fists. She refused to be caught, especially like this; cornered like a pathetic rat. 'Not me, not now, not _ever!_ ' she thought furiously.

Snatching a Pokeball, Jessie tossed it and cried, "Gourgesit! Take care of these mutts! Shadow Ball, now!"

With a battle-cry, Gourgesit appeared and started to build up it's attack, the black-purple energy crackling.

James gasped, hit with a sudden and painfully sharp flashback-

 _-He struggled to climb over the tall chain-link fence at the very edge of his parent's vast estate, reaching his small hands up to the sky, desperate to get away from his waking nightmare. Growlie pushed his head underneath James' feet, helping him to clamber over the top and land on the other side. Crouching down low, Growlie tensed his leg muscles in preparation to jump-but James held up his hands._

 _"Stop Growlie! Wait...you...you can't come with me any further."_

 _The canine tilted his head in confusion before James explained, "Listen pal...I have no idea what's out there. I don't know if we'll be okay, if we'll have enough to eat, or-or anything!" he wiped a torn sleeve across his face, turning to look at the moon, "I have to go. I have to try and make it my own way!" clenching his fists in determination he turned back to his only friend, "But I can't put you through what hardships may come. This is my choice, and I can't drag you into it. So...go home Growlie!"_

 _His ears drooping, Growlie whimpered and pawed at the fence between them._

 _Tears blurring his vision, James adjusted his back-pack and stood, wincing at the pain his scrapped knees gave him, "I'll miss you too...I promise, I'll come back someday! Here you'll be safe and warm and fed, and knowing that will make it easier for me."_

 _Still wanting to follow his master, his best friend, Growlie whined and stood on the fence, scratching at the metal links._

 _Sobbing, James jabbed a finger behind them, "Growlie! Go home! I'm ordering you! Now obey me!"_

 _Hanging his head, the young Growlithe slowly turned and began the long trek back toward home, hearing the snarls of the guard's Houndoom's approaching as James took one last, longing look at him before twisting away and running as swiftly as his legs could carry him..._

Grabbing his own Pokeball and tossing it the air, James cried, "Wait! Inkay!"

The small squid-like Pokemon appeared and happily squeaked at his master.

Jessie snapped, "What are you doing-?! We have to defeat them, and fast!" She could hear the officers an uncomfortably short distance away.

Raising an arm, James commanded, "Inkay, use Hypnosis!"

It's large eyes glowing an eerie, pale white-blue, Inkay whirled to face them. All the Growlithes paused, caught in it's spell. After a moment they all yawned and one-by-one, flopped over onto their sides, sound asleep.

"Good job Inkay!" James smiled, recalling him.

Likewise, Jessie recalled Gourgeist as they all ran for it, the officers practically on their heels, "Are you happy now?!" she spat, "If we had just let Gourgeist attack we would have been out of there sooner! What was that anyway?"

James didn't answer, too scared, tired from running, and irritated to rationally respond.

Instead, Meowth replied for him as he dodged a thorn-bush, "Dontcha remember Jess? His best n' only pal was a Growlithe!"

Jessie felt a small stab of guilt; of course. She had honestly forgotten...

Darting around a stand of trees, they spied the balloon and put on a last burst of speed to reach it. Tearing off the ropes and firing up the burner, they frantically sliced off a couple sand-bags to make themselves rise faster as several officers burst into the clearing. Already in the air and feeling more confident, they laughed and mocked them as they drifted up and away.

They floated along for a bit, taking advantage of a good wind to get as far away as quick as possible, before spying a good place to land and set up camp for the night. Jessie made several sarcastic remarks pertaining being back to their usual roughing-it style, and while Meowth took the bait and argued with her about it, James kept his mouth shut. In fact, he barely spoke at all through setting up their fire, getting food, and rolling out their sleeping bags. Finally tiring of bickering, Meowth went to bed, dragging his sleeping bag a little ways further away than James had put it and turned his back on them. He was tired of getting blamed for things; so he made one little mistake! 'So what,' he thought, 'It's not like dose idiots ain't always screwin' up too...'

All was quiet for a bit, save Jessie grumbling quietly to herself as she sat by the fire, jabbing at it with a stick. James sat slightly off to the side, staring up at the sky. A shooting star streaked across the heavens, and he sent it a wistful prayer. Glancing over at Meowth, Jessie noted he was snoring lightly. Perfect. She had been waiting for an opportunity to talk to James without interruption or snide commentary.

Standing, she walked over to him and huffed, "You almost got us caught earlier."

His eyes darkened, reflecting bits of fire-light and he exhaled loudly through his nose, "If I remember correctly, had you not opened your loud mouth, they never would have known we were there."

"Excuse me?!"

Getting to his feet, he stepped away and crossed his arms, "You heard me."

Mirroring him she too crossed her arms and tried to shift the topic, refusing to admit just yet that he did, as he said earlier, have a point, "Why didn't you just let me pummel those mutts anyway?"

"I couldn't..." his shoulders drooped and he hated himself for his weakness but couldn't stop it.

Jessie sighed, consciously trying to cool her anger, "I...understand. I forgot about your attachment to Growlithes..."

Knowing it was a bad idea but unable to stop his mouth, James grumbled, his voice oozing sarcasm, "It's okay. It's not like I expected you to remember."

Sweet Arceus what was he doing?! Here she was apologizing, in her own way, a rare spectacle and here _he_ was throwing it back in her face.

Digging her fingers into her arms, she pursed her lips and replied, "Get over it. We got away; that's the important thing. But next time you need to grow a pair or we might not be so lucky."

He whipped around to face her, "And next time you need to actually think before you act! Stop blaming me for everything; your impulsiveness is what messes up our plans a lot of the time!"

"How dare you-!" she swung an arm around to slap him, but he caught her wrist.

Struggling, she spat, " _ **Let go!**_ If you weren't such a spineless coward my temper might not be such a problem!"

The tears finally coming, he gulped and snapped bitterly, "Well, I'm sorry I can't be the strong, heroic, courageous man you want!"

Jessie wrenched her arm from his grasp and stomped away, turning her back to him. She yearned to be furious with him, to smack him across his stubborn, whiny little head, tell him off and go to sleep, but at this moment, found herself unwilling. 'What is this?' she wondered to herself, 'Compassion, forgiveness? Is this what love does to a person? And is it a weakness, or a strength, to admit you're wrong? Oh for heaven's sake Jessie! This is not the time for an existential crisis.'

With a deep, slow sigh, she stepped closer to him and tentatively put one hand on his shoulder. He flinched away and with a pout she muttered for him to stop being a baby and listen.

"I'm...actually glad you're the way you are, believe it or not..."

He turned his head slightly toward her, one eyebrow raised in question and she continued, "You know how I am. Let's face it; if I was partnered with a guy who was like me we probably would have killed each other long ago."

"I suppose." he said flatly, still not convinced.

She grabbed him by the chin and forced him to look at her, "Listen up. What I'm about to say is not easy to admit so pay attention for once," she swallowed, flicking her gaze away, feeling more than a little silly, but her heart needing to say it, "It's like...you're the yang to my yin, the white to my black. You have such a big heart, and while at times it can be a pain in the ass, you also...keep me grounded. Sane. From being a complete psychopath. If not for you I'd probably have been dead or in jail by now. You're like...my other half. I'm not gonna say you complete me because that's just too sappy but...yeah. That. I guess."

James' mouth fell open slightly, stunned. She was never, _ever_ this honest and open with him. The blush across her cheeks let him know she felt as naked and vulnerable as if she was actually physically nude. Knowing she was truly sorry and sincere, pledging to let her know she was safe with him, he turned and wrapped her in his arms as he felt her heart pounding.

"Jessica..." he murmured, more tears falling down his face, " I...I don't know if I could ever be the man you want or deserve. But I swear on my life; I will be the man who'll be there for you, no matter what. No matter what trials we face, or hardships we endure, I will never leave your side...I hope that's enough, because it's the best I can do."

Jessie bit her lip, wanting to throw him to the ground and make love to him right then and there, "That sounds great to me...thank you...James...?"

"Yes?"

She leaned up and kissed him gently, mumbling softly against his lips, "I love you, you idiot..."

Abruptly, with her adrenaline surging and feeling bold, she slid one hand under his belt and ran her fingers across his groin and hip-bone. He hissed in a breath and grabbed her hand. She gave him a curious look and he shook his head.

Embarrassed, she tried to pull away but he held her fast, saying, "Not-not when we have an audience..." and jerked his head toward Meowth.

Her eyes widened, "Oh...good point...time for bed then I guess?"

Crawling into their respective sleeping bags, they snuggled against one another, talking excitedly about the next day's mission; another simple Pokemon Center robbery. Plans made, they drifted off to sleep...

The next day, after checking into local news, they realized they were going to have to park their balloon a decent ways outside of town; their recent shenanigans had put the area on high alert for any suspicious activity.

"That's okay!' Jessie said with a shrug, "It's a lovely day for a walk, and we have a map!" she pointed in what she thought was the direction of town, "Let's go, team!"

They walked along for a while, until Meowth wondered aloud, "Ehhh...shouldn't we have seen ta outskirts of dis place by now?"

Jessie paused, planting her hands on her hips, "You're right Meowth. James, check the map."

He sat down on an ancient tree-stump and pulled out their guide-map, tracing a finger along their path.

"Ummm..." he bit his lip, looking around, "I really hate to say this, but..."

Jessie's eye twitched, "Please don't say we're..."

"...Lost," James grumbled, slapping one hand over his face, "I'm afraid...we may well be."

Jabbing a finger at their feline companion, Jessie spat, "You're the one who said we needed to go in this direction!"

His fur bristling, Meowth retorted, "You're da one who agreed wit me!"

The arguing about 'who's-fault-it-is-getting-us-all-lost' quickly escalated, per usual, until Meowth had decided he'd had enough.

"You know what?!" he snorted, "I don't hafta listen ta this!" he grabbed the collapsible fishing pole he kept in his small bag of belongings and turned away, adding, "Dere's a lil' stream a ways back. I'll be back later-much later! Hmph!"

"Fine!" Jessie yelled at him as he walked away, "Have fun! I hope you fall in!"

She glared at James, who was still studying the map and staying out of it, "Haven't you figured out a way back to the main road yet?"

He sighed, "Yes, but I'm trying to find a short-cut that won't take us _hours_ out of the way."

"Uugh!" she cried, flopping down on a rock in the shade of a huge, ancient maple, "This bites."

The day was hot, and realizing they were going to be stuck a while, she peeled off her gloves, laying them on the rock next to her. James glanced up in time to see her starting on her boots. Undoing the small zipper in back, she started to slide off the right boot when she noticed him watching.

She raised an eyebrow, still calming down from her spat with Meowth, "Can I help you?!"

"Umm..." he quickly looked back down, then risked another glance. She had the boot completely off, revealing her long, lean legs. 'Goddammit...' he thought. It had been getting harder and harder lately to keep his hands, never mind his eyes, off of her. It was then she again noticed him attempting to discreetly watch her.

She felt her heart-beat kick up in that now familiar little thrill, "What's the matter James?" she coyly crossed her now-bare legs and licked her lips, "Am I distracting you?"

He swallowed hard, "I...um...m-maybe..."

Suddenly, Jessie didn't care anymore. Maybe it was the heat, maybe it was the desire in his gaze, maybe it was her own feelings, the realization they were completely alone, or a combination. Whatever it was, any doubts she may have had were gone. Her body, heart, and mind were all in consensus now. She wanted, no, _needed_ him. _Now.  
_

Standing, Jessie leaned back against the tree, raising a hand to the zipper on her white jacket, "Let's cut the crap. I want you, and I know damn well you want me too. Besides, you said you didn't wish to be a coward anymore, right?" she yanked the zipper, revealing the short black top underneath and biting her lip, "Prove it."

James' jaw dropped and he looked around them, "R-right here?! Right now?"

"Why not?" she replied, "James, I need you. So, what are you going to do about it?"


	6. Sex and Robbery

James hesitated a moment in disbelief; those were her exact words from his dream. Was this a sign? Ultimately deciding this was _the_ moment, he tossed the map aside and strode purposefully over to her, pinning her against the tree and capturing her mouth with his. She moaned unashamedly into his kiss, arching her back to press herself even closer. His own heart-beat raced like mad as he tugged off his gloves, holding her face with one hand while sliding the other under her shirt to grasp her breast as she squirmed under his touch, silently begging for more.

Using the last rational part of his brain that wasn't overcome with lust and adrenaline, he broke their kiss to wonder, "So um...how brave can I be..?"

Jessie's cheeks flushed, she grinned back at him and removed her jacket altogether, "Hmm, I really have no idea...why don't you show me?"

He blinked; had she just given him carte-blanche to do whatever he wanted? Well, he figured, if he overstepped any boundary he knew she wouldn't be shy about letting him know. Then he remembered that dream again. Did he dare try and re-create any of it..? He moved his hands to her waist, sinking to his knees and leaving trails of kisses along her abdomen. She sighed and closed her eyes. Slipping his hands under her skirt, he shimmied it up while pulling her panties down. At this her eyes flew open and she asked "Wha-what are you-?"

"Proving it." he smirked and moved in, finding his target.

She gasped loudly, one hand grabbing the tree behind her and the other going to his hair. She gripped the rough bark lest her knees give way as his lips and tongue tenderly caressed her most sensitive areas.

Shuddering, her heart racing wildly and never knowing something could feel this amazing, she barely registered it when she moaned his name. Taking this as a sign of encouragement, he hummed, the sensation sending another jolt of pleasure through her.

Breaking away for a moment he uttered reverently as their eyes met, "You are _exquisite..._ "

The way the words rolled off his tongue, not to mention the other activities it was engaged in, made her melt and goosebumps prickle across her skin despite the hot day. Feeling herself getting dangerously close to the edge, she forced her mind back to earth for a second.

Using the grip she had on his head, she pulled him back and made him stand up. Thinking he had done something wrong, he started to apologize but she cut him off by spinning them around so that he was now against the tree.

Pressing herself against him, she grinned as she felt how hard he was and knew he had enjoyed that as much as she had. Unzipping his own jacket, she "helped" him slide it off as she kissed him again.

Running her hands down his chest to pause at his waist, she breathed, "My turn, bad boy."

He didn't have time to respond before she undid his belt and yanked his pants and boxers down to his knees. Normally he would have been mortified to find himself so suddenly exposed, but right now was a different story as he noted her reaction.

She bit her lip and smirked lustfully, looking down and then up as she commanded, "You. Sit."

When he didn't move fast enough for her, she roughly grabbed his shoulders and pushed him to the ground, wriggling out of her panties and then dropping with him, straddling his lap. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close and kissed her deeply, trying not to shake too much as she lowered herself onto him. Holding onto his shoulders, she rocked her hips slowly at first, then a bit faster. With a throaty groan he tilted his head back and closed his eyes, holding onto her waist as she had her way with him. Her slick heat around him felt so incredible he had to calm himself down for a moment least this be over far too soon.

She leaned in, kissing his jawline and panted, "Typical...making me do all the work..."

He looked at her, seeing the devious glint in her eyes and realizing that had been a challenge rather than a criticism. Getting a better grip on her waist, he rocked his own hips in rhythm with hers, prompting another gasp from her. They moved together, breath and heart-beats quickening with their pace against each other. Finally she threw her own head back and cried out his name again, not giving a damn if the whole world heard as her climax surged through her. All this was too much for him, who pressed his face into her neck as he felt his own release, his strangled cries muffled by her sweat-sheened skin. For a few moments they sat still except for their panting breath. Pulling back a little, their eyes met. They both grinned slightly, their breathing starting to calm down. Leaning to one side, he flopped over onto the soft grass, taking her with him. Biting her lip and suddenly self-conscious, she yanked her skirt back down to cover herself. Noting this, he too pulled his underwear and pants back into place. They lay quietly for a while, floating as much as the clouds they watched through the tree-tops, her head pillowed against his chest and a breeze that had kicked up cooling their bodies. Jessie was the first to speak.

"So...wow..." was all she could manage.

"Yeah..." he said, "Jess?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you..." he smiled at her, a tear escaping his eye.

"Oh, I love you too you big baby!" she snorted.

He gulped, "I...um..."

Weakly pulling herself to rest on one elbow, she asked. "What?"

"I didn't think that..." he blushed and looked away.

A million doubts ran through her mind; _Did I push him too soon? Did he not enjoy that? I mean he finished but...that's reflexive! What have I done?! Does he not feel what I swear that-?!_

Rolling over, he threw his arms around her and pulled her back down to snuggle against him, "...I didn't think that I could ever feel like this, or as close to you as I do now...I love you so much Jessie...I know I just said that but I-"

Feeling like an idiot, yet relieved, she laughed brightly, "You're impossible! And same here, my dear James..."

Another peaceful period of silence followed, before James suggested, "Hey...I've been thinking about something lately...have you ever, you know, considered doing something else besides this? Like something besides Team Rocket? Please don't hit me-I know how much it means to you, and me too, but anymore it's just...becoming tiresome. I mean we've had some success lately, but still...oh, I don't know! I'm wondering if it may be time for us to move on. Well? What do you say?"

When she didn't answer he glanced to see her eyes shut and noted her slow, steady breath; she had fallen asleep. Smiling, he kissed the top of her head and pulled her a little closer, closing his own eyes as he drifted off on dreams of better days to come.

Once again, he was awoken by a relentless jabbing to the head. Groaning and weakly swatting the annoyance away, James opened his eyes to find Meowth standing there with the fishing pole in one paw and a string of fish in the other, glaring down at him.

"Whattaya you two takin' a nap for?! I thought we had a job ta do!"

"You're not our boss..." James growled, still out of it and started to close his eyes again, but as his own words sank in he sat up with a yelp and scooted away from Jessie, "OH! Hi Meowth! Well, um, it's-it's such a nice day and we figured that-"

The noise and commotion awoke Jessie, who yawned, stretched, and sat up while rubbing her eyes.

"What's going on?" she said groggily.

Meowth set down his catch, "I brought lunch. Not dat I outta share it wit you idiots," crossing his arms, the feline sneered, "So whattaya you doin' bein' all cuddly anyways?"

Shaking off the last of her sleepiness Jessie scoffed, "Because we wanted to! What do you care? You were off doing your own thing."

Meowth's eyes scanned the area, noting their scattered clothes, "Looks like you was too."

After eating the fish Meowth had caught, they gathered themselves together and resumed their interrupted task. James slipped his hand into Jessie's as they walked, the pair exchanging a sly glance every so often. When Meowth finally saw this and asked about it, the only answer he received was a kick and an order to mind his own business. By the time they found the right path and finally town it was getting late, nonetheless they decided to go ahead with their mission. Before they did, however, Jessie insisted on making a quick stop at a local store. She ducked in and returned only a minute later. They asked her what she had bought but she only smiled mischievously and insisted it was a surprise.

They had already made a decision to go for the classic, direct approach on this assignment. Approaching the Pokemon Center, they got their supplies ready and marched right in through the front doors, throwing several smoke-bombs as they went. Chaos erupted with people and Pokemon trying to run for cover or get away. They grinned, feeling the adrenaline and power.

"What's going on!?" someone cried.

Jessie stepped forward through the smoke, tossing her hair and striking a pose, "We'll tell you! You had better prepare for trouble!"

Mimicking her movements, James continued, "I suggest you make that double!"

They had counted on some resistance per usual, and quickly nipped it in the bud. What they had not counted on was the increased security measures put in place after their other robberies in the area. So, they were unprepared for the group of officers with drawn weapons that cornered them in a Pokemon storage room they were trying to hastily clear out.

"Drop the bags! You're under arrest Team Rocket!" their leader commanded.

The trio all glanced at each other uncertainly, hoping someone would come up with a plan.

Doing the only thing he could think of, Meowth let out a furious, screeching yowl and leapt at them, unleashing a Fury Swipes attack. Startled, the officers broke formation and backed away, trying to pry Meowth off of their faces as he leapt from person to person. Seizing the opportunity, Jessie and James called out their respective Pokemon.

"Gourgeist! Confuse Ray!"

"Inkay, use Psywave!"

The Pokemon let loose with their attacks, nearly hitting Meowth as they did so. Moments later the entire group of officers were on the ground, groaning in pain and confusion as the trio leapt over them and made a hasty exit. Back safely in their balloon a while later, they lorded over their stash and tallied up the spoils.

"Well, it's not as much as we wanted but it'll do." Meowth finally concluded.

Jessie giggled, "It's more than enough to keep the boss happy! Look at all these expensive drugs , not to mention the Pokemon! There's bound to be some rare gems in here!"

Leaning back against the side of the basket, James sighed, "Indeed! That was a close call but we succeeded nonetheless! And now I say...it's time to set up for the night!" standing, he scanned the area, frowning as he noticed the searchlights a ways off, "But not here. Looks like we might have to keep going for a bit."

Jessie shook her head and shrugged, "Oh well. We won, that's what really matters. Now then," she stood and fired up the burner a little more, lifting them higher into the moon-lit sky, "Team Rocket's flying off into victory again! Ha-hahahaha!"

Something about the way she stood, joyful, proud, and confident like a triumphant warrior-queen, the night wind whipping her hair and clothes around her, made him love her even more...not to mention incredibly turned-on. 'Stop that!' he chastised his body, 'Maybe later...'

After drifting along for a bit, they found a suitable, safe spot and landed, setting up camp for the night. Dinner was eaten, Jessie's 'surprise' was revealed (a large bag of spicy potato chips), and good-nights were exchanged. While Meow soon drifted off to sleep, the human two-thirds of the trio were still wide awake.

Sitting up, Jessie whispered, "Hey..."

Turning over, James replied, "What's up?"

Digging into her bag, she said, "The chips weren't the only thing I picked up..." holding up a small box, she grinned deviously as he blushed bright red.

"That's-that's a lot of condoms." he stammered.

She replied matter-of-factly, "A larger box is always a better value, and besides, when you factor in the best discount there is," she held up her other hand, wiggling all five fingers, "It's a real bargain!"

Leaning toward him, she added, emphasizing her words, "And I have plans for every. Single. One."

He smiled back at her, "...I honestly don't know whether to feel aroused or a little frightened. I think I'll go with both."


	7. Red-Handed

Once they reported in via portable video-phone the following day and were complimented for a job well done ("For once" the executive sneered, and James had to nudge Jessie in the side after he saw she was about to flip out at him), they asked what their next mission would be.

The executive shuffled through some papers on his desk before adjusting his glasses and saying, "To be frank, we didn't really think you lot would get this far so...we don't have another assignment for you yet."

"So now what?!" asked Meowth.

"Just continue to scout out possible targets, get ahold of any resources...you know. We'll contact you soon when we have another job lined up," with a smirk he added, "Don't make too much of a mess of things in the meantime, okay? Later!"

He disconnected the call before they, specifically Jessie, could respond. A wise move, as she lunged for the device, shaking it and snarling for him to say that again to her face.

Dropping it, she stomped away before whirling, one fist in the air, "That's it! These little side quests have been fun, and yes we've done well, but it's time we got back to our main objective; nabbing that rotten rodent!"

Meowth unsheathed his claws, "Let's get 'em!"

Raising a finger, James piped up, "Are we sure? Like even he said, we've been doing a good job lately. Couldn't we just stick to this?"

Planting her hands on her hips, Jessie scoffed, "We'll _never_ get the success and fortune we want this way! We need something big to put us on top!"

"And finally catchin' dat Pikachu is the ticket!" nodded Meowth.

James sighed, fighting the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, "Fine. But this time we really need to think hard, figure out what we've been doing wrong and try to overcome it!"

"And we will!" she nearly danced up to him, throwing her arms around his neck, "That's the spirit; out-smart and conquer! We'll get them yet!"

Looking into her bright eyes, full of fire and determination, he couldn't help but feel some of his old energy, the kind he used to feel every day, begin to return. That dismal feeling dissolved as he felt that maybe, just maybe, she was right. And even if they failed again, he knew they'd still have each other.

Straightening himself with a grin, he hugged her back and chuckled, "That's right!"

"Hey!" said Meowth, eyeing their embrace with further suspicion, "Quit stealin' my lines! Also dere's one lil' hitch wit dis plan..."

"What?" they asked, stepping apart as they noted the feline's expression.

Crossing his arms, Meowth asked, "Do we got _any_ clue where dose brats are headin'?"

In truth, it only took a couple days to track down Ash and his friends. After all this time, they had become quite skilled in following his movements. The young man was fairly predictable in them, anyway. Relying on the element of surprise and the fact they hadn't attacked them for some time, they pounced just as the group was relaxing and eating lunch. Unfortunately, they hadn't counted on them having a new friend, whose newly-evolved and high-level Nidoking was more than happy to send them flying-which it did.

Hanging from tree limbs a ways off a few minutes later, Jessie struggled and screamed curses as James and Meowth sighed in resignation, the latter saying, "If it wadn't for dat Nidoking-"

Giving up on untangling her hair from some vines for the moment, Jessie snorted, "Yes, I know; we would have won! Now then...I say we follow and keep an eye on them. This new friend of theirs may be temporary-they have a lot of those-and if so we simply wait until he's gone. If not, we make a plan to disable that beast long enough to nab Pikachu. For the rest of today..." she disgustedly picked some leaves from her shirt and wearily suggested, "We take a break..."

"Here, here..." her companions groaned.

In the evening, after getting themselves settled, James and Meowth were getting dinner together when Jessie grabbed a towel and her toiletries from her bag, declaring she was going to get a bath in a nearby stream.

"Come get me when it's almost done!" she said over her shoulder as she walked away.

"Da least she could do is get s'more firewood or somethin'!" Meowth complained when he was certain she was out of ear-shot.

Making his way through the brush a little while later, James called to Jessie as he approached the stream she had gone to. He could hear the rush of water growing steadily louder but was still getting no response from her. Fighting back a stab of irrational panic, he drew a deep breath, cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled her name nearly as loud as he could. Now he heard a faint but distinct response a short ways ahead. Relaxing, he smiled and pushed through some tall, dense bushes near the stream's edge. Once on the other side, he looked up and froze in place. She was about half-way out in the water, kneeling so she was submerged almost to the shoulder. Her back was to him as she ran her fingers through a section of her hair, the rest of it floating about her. The setting sun made the water sparkle, shone off her wet skin and set her hair afire.

Turning, she said, "Is the food ready?"

His mouth hung open a little, and it took her giving him a questioning look before his brain snapped back and he replied, "Y-yeah, it'll be ready shortly."

She felt her face break into an evil grin, unable to hide her inner thoughts. Looking at him with that flushed, admiring, 'I-want-you-but-I'm-attempting-to-be-a-gentleman-here' expression, she couldn't help but give him what he sought...and her as well.

As he started to awkwardly walk away, she called, "Hold on a second!"

He spun back around, "Hmm?"

She stood up in the shallow water, her long hair just barely covering her and smiled boldly, "If you're going to watch me, you might as well join me."

Momentarily stunned, his mouth hanging open at the sight of the gorgeous creature before him, he recovered enough to kick off his boots and start removing the rest of his clothes, "I guess I _could_ use a bath myself...but Meowth will be suspicious why it's taking so long for us to get back!"

"Pfft, let him," she casually said, then as James passed her pile of stuff she added, "Wait-look in the outer pocket of my bag-no, the other pocket-yeah that one...you're gonna need that."

He held up the small foil packet and asked, trying to sound more confident than he felt being completely naked at the moment, "Oh really? ...Were you planning this?"

Jessie responded, "A lady is always prepared."

James slipped into the cool water, which after the hot day and their earlier mishap, felt amazingly soothing. The closer he waded to her, however, the faster his heart raced. Grinning, she suddenly splashed him and moved out a little farther to where the water was deeper. With a laugh he followed, slapping some water back at her and she shrieked with laughter as well. Reaching out, she grabbed his arm and pulled him against herself, leaning up to press her lips to his. Breaking away, he turned slightly to fumble with the packet and it's contents. Achieving this, he twisted back around and pulled her into his arms.

"What was that about being prepared?" he smirked.

Biting her lip she wondered, "Am I in trouble...?"

"More than double..."

She hopped up, winding her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, letting the water help hold her up as he grasped her hips.

"Good..." she whispered against his cheek.

And then he was inside her, and the rest of the world disappeared.

Back at camp, Meowth tapped his paw impatiently on the ground and hissed to himself, "If dose two don't show up soon, I'm eatin' all dis food myself!"

Stepping back into the clearing some time later, the pair were met with a very irritated feline.

Stomping his feet, Meowth spat, "What took ya so long?!"

Dropping her stuff by her sleeping bag, Jessie said, "We-we got lost, okay? These stupid trees all look the same!"

Catching onto the 'play-along' look she was giving him, James added with a forced sheepish smile, "It's kind of my fault..."

Pointing to their cooking pot, Meowth sneered, "Well, 'cause you was gone for so long, I had to eat the food! 'Cause I'm so nice, I left ya a little."

Jessie peered into it, frowning as she saw that there was indeed very little left, "Why you rotten-!"

"That's not fair!" James chimed in.

Licking his lips, Meowth said, "It was deeee-licous! It's too bad; if ya had gotten back sooner dere might be more..." it was then he noticed James' still very wet hair, "Heeey, I thought ya said ya was just goin' ta get her Jimmy?"

James tried not to panic, instead casually shrugging, "I stunk. I decided I needed a bath too."

"Thought ya said ya got lost?"

Crossing his arms, James replied, "We did. After I got a bath. Does that satisfy you, Mr. Nosy?"

Meowth sighed. He knew they were lying to him and not telling him everything. He had known them for far too long to not be able to pick up on the signs of their trying to bluff their way out of something. It hurt a little, but also made him angry, curious, and all the more resolved to figure out what exactly had been going on. He had a strong suspicion, but had yet to confirm it.

Deciding to trick them out of it later rather than push the issue, Meowth nodded, "Fine. But ya still plum outta luck for supper!"

That night, their fire had burned down to glowing embers, and James still lay awake, staring at the starry sky. The quiet night leant itself well to inner reflection, and he used it often. He folded his arms behind his head and sighed, mulling over how and when to broach the subject he had tried to discuss with her days earlier. He knew she wouldn't take it well, but still felt it was something that should be talked about. Eyes flicking over to Jessie, he smiled slightly at one stray piece of hair that rose and fell with her breath. Though he wanted to reach over and move it away, he feared waking her. Unable to stand it, he moved one hand out to gingerly push it back.

Her eyes snapped open, "I was going to get that-eventually."

Startled, a tiny yelp escaped his throat, "S-Sorry! Did I wake you?"

Rolling onto her side, she said, "No, I wasn't asleep yet."

Propping himself up on one elbow to face her, he asked, "So what's our plan for tomorrow?"

"I'm still working on it," she yawned, "You got anything?"

He shook his head, "No, not yet. Let's just hope we don't have an encore of today..."

She propped herself up as well, "Speaking of encores, I may need one of earlier here..."

Eyebrow raised, he smiled, "I'll take that to mean my performance was satisfactory?"

"Very much," she replied, wiggling closer so that her body was just barely touching his, "But I might need another act to be sure..."

He leaned in and kissed her, in the back of his mind still getting used to his own boldness. Grinning, she kicked off her own sleeping bag and slipped into his, settling herself on top of him and pinning him to the ground by the wrists. Biting his lip he looked over at Meowth. Jessie smiled and shook her head, wordlessly answering his question, 'He's sound asleep'. Pressing herself against the already growing bulge in his pants, she leaned down and brushed her lips against his neck and ear as he arched his back and hissed in a breath, biting back moaning aloud as-

"AH-HA! I _KNEW_ IT!"

Meowth was standing up, pointing an accusatory finger at them, "I knew dere was somethin' goin' on wit you two and I was right!"

They shrieked and disentangled themselves, flailing and falling over each other.

Jessie leapt to her feet, pouncing upon the cat Pokemon and holding him fast by the neck with a snarl, "FINE! Very good, you figured it out!" she yanked him close to her face, seething with rage and fear, "So help me, if you breathe a single word of this to the boss-!"

Clawing at her hands to no avail, Meowth coughed, "I pwomise! Not a word!"

She dropped him and turned away, hugging herself as Meowth gasped for air and James got to his feet himself.

He held up his hands, "Okay everyone, let's just calm down here for a second..." he looked toward Meowth, "Meowth? Yes, we-we're in a romantic relationship now. And if the boss finds out he'll definitely separate us, if not worse, so it's imperative none of us say anything. Please...?"

Rubbing his neck, the feline said, "I had a feelin' dis is what was goin' on! Sheesh, ya coulda told me..." he held out his paws, "Da boss is well, da boss, but you two are my pals! If ya didn't want me ta say somethin' you coulda just asked!"

Jessie turned around, "You mean...you don't care?"

Shrugging, Meowth said, "Ta be honest, not really. I'm kinda surprised it took ya dis long."

"What's that mean?" asked James.

"Aah, youse two have been all over eachudda forever! And besides, I've seen da way ya look at eachudda too. I may be a Pokemon but I've been around you humans long enough to tink dat if you was _just_ friends you wouldn't look at eachudda like _dat._ "

Said humans glanced at one another before Jessie poked at a rock with her toe, "Have we been that obvious?"

"Nyah, pretty much. So yeah, I don't care. I do have a couple requests though," he counted on his toes, "One, I don't wanna see nothin', if ya catch my drift. Two, don't let it get in the way of our job. Three, we don't need anudder mouth ta feed around here so take it easy okay?"

Flushing bright red, Jessie and James gasped before Jessie angrily sputtered, "We know that! Which is why we've taken p-precautions _oh shut up!_ "

"Alright den," said Meowth, going back to his sleeping bag, "Now dat we got dat settled, I'm goin' back ta bed...oh and one more thing; I don't wanna _hear_ nothin' either!"


	8. A Fork in the Road?

They spent the next few days tailing Ash and his friends, annoyed that their Nidoking-owning friend was still with them. Once they reached the next town, however, he broke off to travel in another direction. It being a town higher in the mountains, climbing and hiking were popular local attractions, and they set up a clothing and gear shop in an attempt to trick their quarry. They were doing quite well for themselves, and made a good bit of money from other people, but unfortunately when it came time to try and nab Pikachu, Meowth tripped and his wig flew off, giving them away. With that dismal failure, they backed off for a little while as they worked out another plan. In this time they were finally given a couple other minor assignments, one of which was supposed to be a simple bank robbery but ended up with them accidentally kidnapping a small infant. Things went even more sour as they were forced to turn over the majority of the stash from that job, leaving them with significantly less than they wanted. After that mess was settled, and having no other jobs to do, they went back to their main goal.

It was also during this time that Jessie made good on her 'plans'. Nearly every night, after Meowth had gone to bed or they convinced him that is was 'a beautiful evening for a stroll' (to which Meowth would roll his eyes and grumble "You can just say you need some alone time! I ain't dumb!" as he walked away), they'd fall into each other's arms, trying something new or going back to what they had already discovered they enjoyed.

One of these nights, as they lay together in a sweaty tangle, breath ragged and still floating back down to earth, Jessie smiled as she played with James' hair.

"You know," she said, "You're not much of a villain, but you're an _amazing_ lover..."

He weakly lifted his head from where it was pillowed on her chest and cocked an eyebrow, "...Thank you?"

After a few more minutes, Jessie started to become aware of the branch poking her in the shoulder underneath the sleeping bag she was on. She shifted herself to no avail.

With a sigh she looked down her nose at him, "Comfy are we?"

"Mmm...quite so." he smirked, nuzzling his face in her cleavage.

She rolled her eyes and started to sit up, pushing him off of her, "I'm sure you are, but I've got rocks and sticks jabbing me here, and I need to move."

Replacing just enough of their clothes to prevent any embarrassment should Meowth return, they curled back up together, James holding Jessie close against himself and stroking her hair. She pressed her face against his neck and yawned, getting a lungful of his scent. He smelled like that musky combination of sex and sweat, which was new, mixed with his soap and aftershave and just _him,_ which she was so accustomed to it had become as familiar as her own reflection. She couldn't imagine being without it, or him. The blend of that smell, his arms around her, the afterglow of their love-making and the peaceful night made her more relaxed and open than she could remember feeling in ages. As such her thoughts drifted to a subject that had crossed her mind on occasion for a while, but couldn't find the time, or courage, to bring it up.

"Hey..." she began, "Have you ever...considered getting out of this racket and doing something different?"

She heard him gasp and felt his body become rigid. As close as she was, she felt his heart start beating harder as well. Pulling back, he gazed at her with wide, startled eyes.

"Are you kidding me?!" he wondered.

"Don't start pouting! I don't mean right away. I was just thinking that-"

A huge grin lit up his face and he started enthusiastically babbling, "Really?! THIS IS GREAT! I tried to bring it up the day that-well, we first, heh, you know-but you were already asleep and I haven't been able to figure out when to mention it again and this is so awesome because maybe we can-"

Shoving him away, she sat up and said, "You're telling me you've been thinking the same thing?!"

He pulled himself to a sitting position as well, his smile falling and now uncertain, "Well...I um...kind of, yeah. As much as we've put into this, I can't help but feel like-"

"We're running in circles and getting nowhere?" she looked up at the sky.

"...Exactly." he said softly with a nod.

They were quiet for a bit, lost in their own thoughts, before James spoke up.

"Did you notice something when we set up that shop recently?"

"What?"

He smiled, "How good we were? How much people liked us and the things we had for sale? How happy they were and how they told others to come to us?" he chuckled, "We were newcomers! We dropped in out of the blue, set up shop, and before we knew it everyone was picking us over places that had been there for years! What does that tell you?"

She pulled her knees up to her chest, "That we were a novelty?"

Confidence returning, he raised a finger, "Maybe, yes. Also that we were good. It doesn't matter how new or flashy a place is; if their salespeople are terrible they'll go under quickly. People _like_ us, Jessie!"

She looked sideways sourly at him, "So your plan is to be salespeople for the rest of our lives?"

"Pffft, of course not!" he scoffed, "We'll start our own company! We'll be the owners and our own bosses! With us in charge, we can hand-pick who works for us! Imagine it, Jess!" full of adrenaline he stood and raised a fist skyward, "Our own business! Ours! We'd be the top dogs! We'd be the ones giving out orders and making the money! We could actually afford good food and nice things and vacations!"

She smiled herself, finding his mood infectious, "We could have a real house, like that cabin but even better! A real roof over our heads, hot baths whenever we wanted, all the food we could eat!"

"That's the spirit my darling!' he held out his hand, "So are you with me?!"

Laughing, she stood up and reached out-but stopped, withdrawing her own hand as another thought crept into her mind, "Yes...but not yet."

His hand fell and he looked at the ground, "Not ready to give up on our Team Rocket path yet...?"

She shook her head, "No. It would take something quite drastic for me to up and leave this gig. I've put far too much time and effort into it to just give up. And I know deep down, you're not ready to throw in the towel yet, either."

"Agreed. You got me there. "

Raising her hand again, she grinned evilly, "Once we get that Pikachu, we'll consider retirement. Until then..."

He clasped her hand in his own, "We still have a job to do!"

It was nearly two weeks before Jessie began to get nervous. A terrible, often nonexistent, diet and a high stress level had often caused her to be irregular, but this was far longer than she had ever known. Seemingly random bouts of nausea only added to her anxiety. It weighed on her mind to the point of losing concentration or messing up their schemes. So to put her fears to rest, the next time they were in town, she made the excuse she had to pop into the local Cheap-Mart for 'female needs' by herself (which she knew her partners would never dare to question), where she snatched three small boxes off the shelf when no one was looking and ducked into the ladies room.

Pacing back and forth in the handicapped stall, which still meant barely two steps before turning around and repeating, heart racing, Jessie tried to tell herself she was being paranoid. There was no way, right? They had been cautious, after all. Surely that counted for something...right? Quickly glancing at the small stick sitting on the sink, and seeing nothing yet, she continued her terrifying vigil. Drawing deep breaths, she willed herself to calm down, mind floating and trying consciously for once to remember her childhood, or what she could of it anyway. Much of it was a jumbled mess, a tangled mass of images, sounds and impressions that had little coherence or even significance. She could just barely remember her mother, little more than a ghost in her memory, the woman's face hardly visible in her mind's eye. Foggy pieces followed, some of it so vague it felt like a dream, grasping at wisps of smoke trying to remember.

The first truly solid, tangible memory she had was of the woman running the orphanage she was at getting her into Pokemon Tech, something she later suspected was more to get rid of her than to help her. It was there she had first met him-the shy, quiet, articulate student at the back of the classroom, his nose always buried in his books and never speaking to anyone. She had made it a personal mission to drag him out of his shell, a mission at which she had succeeded beautifully...sadly, to both their academic ruin. Ridden with guilt, she dropped out and vanished, eventually ending up in an alley surrounded by a gang of homeless kids with their bikes. She fought off a number of them (at one point even throwing one of them off of their bike and tearing the chain from it to use as a weapon, therefore securing her future nickname) before they overwhelmed her, but impressed with her ferocity and courage, they invited her to join them. One day, in a similar fashion to her own introduction, they cornered a young man behind a convenience store intent on stealing anything useful he had on him. One look at his face and Jessie nearly had a heart attack-it was him. Somehow, they had ended up in the same place again...her young mind wondered if this was what she had heard called fate.

Snapping back to the present, Jessie darted to the sink. Glancing down, she snatched up the plastic stick and it's box, looking back and forth from box to contents, double-checking the results.

Her heart nearly stopped.

Dropping it, stomach clenched, she looked over the other two-best out of three, she had figured. When she saw all of them were in consensus, her hands flew to her mouth as she tried and failed to choke back her tears. Shaking to point of nearly losing her balance, she leaned against the wall, slumping to the floor and held herself, sobbing openly and wondering what in the world she was going to do...

The next week was a living hell for all of them. The weather had turned foul, raining to some degree every day. On top of that, their funds finally began to run out, leaving them with little food and even less money.

Then there was Jessie.

Her mood swings were more violent and sudden than usual, coupled with being nervous and jittery a lot of the time. She was also quick to disappear into the woods as soon as she got up and was gone longer than usual, returning with a pale, sickly expression and often refusing any of the meager breakfast they managed to scrape up. This alone was enough to worry James and Meowth greatly. Her various bouts of bad or odd moods they were used to, but refusing food was something entirely new. She spent much of the time either napping, moping around, complaining, or much to their worry and confusion, suddenly bursting into tears for seemingly no reason. James also discovered that any and every time he attempted to so much as be cuddly she'd outright refuse him, shoving him away and snapping that she wasn't feeling well.

The last time he tried, he wiggled in his sleeping bag up next to her, snickering, "I'm gonna getcha!"

Upon making contact, she kicked out at him and spat, "Knock it off! I don't feel good! Go to sleep..."

Rolling away and sitting up, he demanded,"Okay, that's it! What is going on?!"

"I have every right to not want sex!"

He huffed, "Of course you do! But I wasn't actually-! I just wanted to hold you! For heaven's sake up until a week ago you couldn't keep your hands off me and were jumping me every chance we got and then all of a sudden it's like-"

"Heeey!" whined Meowth, rubbing his eyes and glaring at them, "I'm tryin' ta sleep! Shaddup!" He rolled over and yanked his blanket over his head.

Lowering his voice, reaching out and them pulling his hand back as he thought better of it, James asked more gently, "Jessie, what's going on? I know you, and something is very wrong. You're acting really off, you're outright refusing to eat half the time, you startle at every little thing-you're really scaring me! Please, I love you and I care about you! Why won't you tell me what's bothering you?"

She gripped her sleeping bag, her tears already flowing and hating herself. Once again, she knew if she dared take one look into those sweet, concern-filled green eyes, she'd lose it and blurt out everything, something she just couldn't bring herself to do yet.

So she forced her heart to harden and said shakily, "It's none of your business..."

"Did...did I do something wrong?" he pressed, "I didn't hurt you or anything, did I?! I know we got a little, well, rough last time but-"

A small stone suddenly ricocheted off his head and he yelped in pain. Meowth was holding another and glowering at him.

" _I said shaddup_! You wanna run your yap fine but wait until mornin'!"

James rubbed his now-throbbing head and started to argue with the feline but Jessie interrupted, "Listen to the cat, James. Drop it and go to sleep."

"But-"

Risking another wave of nausea, Jessie quickly sat up and whirled to face him, "I said drop it! Now shut up and if _you're_ not going to sleep at least let me!"

His eyes watering, heart-broken and confused, he turned away and lay with his back to them as he silently wept and wondered what had gone wrong.


	9. Little Things are the Biggest

It was the first perfectly clear, sunny morning in a while, the golden sun having just recently arisen and making everything sparkle and seem alive. Waking up, Ash looked outside the tent he and Clemont shared and grinned widely at the beautiful scenery. He had a good feeling about today and was determined to take full advantage of every minute.

After getting dressed and climbing out of his tent he stretched, throwing out his arms and shouted across the valley, "Good morning world! What have you got for me today?!"

Yawning, Pikachu wiggled out from under a blanket and stretched as well, though he felt considerably less enthusiasm than his trainer did at this early hour.

Turning around, the young man called, "Come on guys! It's gonna be a good day, I can feel it! Let's get moving!"

Rubbing her eyes, Serena poked her head out from own tent, "Jeez, Ash...you're awfully wide awake before breakfast...that's a new one."

Bonnie peeked around her, still half-asleep, "What time is it...?

"Too early..." sighed Clemont, crawling out and yawning widely.

Ash laughed sheepishly, "Heh, sorry guys. I'm just so excited! I don't know exactly why, but I've just got this really strong feeling like something awesome is in store for me today."

With a giggle, Serena stood and said, "Well then, let's get some food going, and we'll see if you're right!"

Around mid-morning, the trio found themselves at a fork in the road, and not being sure which way was the best, pulled out their map. Complaining they were taking too long, Jessie plopped herself onto a nearby tree stump, pouting and refusing to pay them any further attention despite their insistence that she actually help.

Tracing what he felt was the best route with one claw, Meowth confidently said, "Dis way is de shortest!"

James shook his head and pointed out the other road, "That may be so, but it also involves a lot more climbing and dangerous trails! _This_ way is easier!"

Meowth slapped a paw over his face, "But dat'll take us twice as long!"

"Nooo, it may be _longer_ , but it's an easier walk therefore it'll take _less_ time!"

Pulling her knees to her chest, Jessie groaned, "Will you two just pick something already?!"

Glaring at her, Meowth said, "Why don't you pick? You haven't done anyting useful in days!"

Feeling too sick at the moment to kick him around, she simply returned his glare and growled, "You haven't done anything useful ever!"

This sparked an all-out war with insults and accusations flying between Meowth and Jessie, with James' futile attempts to act as referee and quell the fighting. They were abruptly and quite unexpectedly interrupted, however, by a commotion of noise approaching above and to the left of them.

"What the-?!" wondered Jessie, getting to her feet.

Suddenly, a tumbling, tangled group of people and Pokemon crashed through the brush and into view, falling over each other and finally the short drop from the sloped hill above to the level trail they were on, landing in jumbled pile. They groaned and wailed in pain as they collected themselves and finally began to speak.

"That is the _last time_ you try to catch a Gabite, Ash!" cried Serena, rubbing her sore leg.

Sitting up, stretching his throbbing arm, Ash replied, "Oh come on! I almost had him!"

Making sure Dedenne was alright, Bonnie sneered, "Suuure you did! When was that? Before or after you ran screaming?"

"Hey!" protested Ash, "Give me a break! He nearly got me!"

Standing and helping his sister up, Clemont added, "In hindsight, running toward us was a terrible idea you know!"

At this point, they hadn't noticed Team Rocket standing mere feet away from them, until Pikachu, after rubbing his aching ears, spotted them staring uncertainly out of the corner of his eye.

Whirling, the mouse Pokemon bared his teeth and sparked his cheeks with a hiss.

Looking his way, Ash then noticed them and exclaimed, "YOU!"

Both parties now faced off, taken by surprise and unsure of what to do next.

James and Meowth laughed, with James saying, "Well, well! Good morning twerps! It's too bad you've seem to run into us at such a bad time-for you anyway!"

His heart leapt; maybe with them hurt and shaken, they could actually succeed this time! With Pikachu caught, they could actually move on to other things. The future was suddenly wide open, that white tomorrow they had so earnestly sought for so long finally feeling like it was within reach. He swore on his very soul, on everything he had dreamed for the three of them, he would not fail. Not this time.

Unsheathing his claws, Meowth chimed in, "Seein' as you're weak and all, we'll be takin' dat Pikachu, and any other Pokemon we can get too!"

Serena and Clemont called out their respective Pokemon as the groups squared of and the tension mounted.

Her heart racing, Jessie suddenly darted in front of her partners, facing Ash and his friends, yelling, "WAAAIT!"

Everyone froze, startled by her unconventional reaction.

Clapping her hands together, Jessie sheepishly said, "Actually, um, twerp-I mean Ash-we're going to leave you alone today! In fact we may never bother you again! If that's the case then good luck-really! It's been a blast...no pun intended...thanks for the memories kid! Bye-bye!"

With that she ran off, James and Meowth close on her heels and pleading for her to wait for them.

Pikachu sat and looked at his trainer in utter confusion, "Pi-kaaa?"

Clemont rubbed his neck, "What was _that_ all about?"

"I have no idea..." Serena frowned.

Bonnie said, "They were acting weirder than usual."

Ash crossed his arms, "I don't trust them. Call it personal experience. I have to see what's _really_ going on..."

A short ways off, leaning over with his hands on his knees, James tried to catch his breath, "Jessie?! What was that? We-we had them!"

She kept her back to him, shaking slightly and trying to calm her nerves, "It's-we didn't have a plan! There was no way we could have won."

"The element of surprise was ours!" whined Meowth, "We coulda taken' 'em!"

Composing himself, James moved to stand in front of her, "Oh come on; what's this really about? I've never known you to back down from a fight; in fact you've started them more times than I can count. What makes this time any different?"

Nearly losing her composure and without thinking, Jessie layed her hands on her abdomen and cried, "We can't risk getting blasted off again! It's-we just can't okay?! Not now, maybe not ever! I..." the words died in her throat.

All of a sudden, looking at her, hands pressed to her belly and thinly veiled terror in her eyes, everything from the last week or so became startlingly clear; the sudden change in mood, the near-constant complaint of stomach problems, the disappearing in the morning, refusing to eat, her utter rejecting of his affections. He had to fight his knees giving way as the truth hit him like a punch to his own stomach and he cursed himself for being so stupidly blind.

Swallowing hard, unable to stop the shakiness of his voice, James asked as he raised one hand slightly to gesture at her middle, "Jessie...are you...?"

Gaze flicking down, she realized where her hands had unconsciously gone and quickly moved them, but knew it was too late. Looking up, she finally made the mistake of meeting his eyes with her own.

The look in her eyes gave it away, yet still she broke down and blurted out, "Yes I'm pregnant!"

She slapped a hand over her mouth, scarcely believing her own words. It was strange; in the past week she had many a time thought that finally just saying it might make her feel better, like a burden lifted from her shoulders. Now she knew she had been terribly wrong.

Mind reeling, his knees almost did give out as the realization began to sink in. Ironically his own father's words crossed his mind; _'Your mother and I are tired of waiting for you to grow up!'_ With bitter amusement he thought to himself 'Well father, looks like you were right for once, though certainly, and I'm quite proud of this, not in the way you wanted.'

His fur puffing up in anger, Meowth stomped his foot and shook a fist at them, "Whaaaat?! I thought I told youse two to take it easy! Now whattaya we gonna do?!"

Tears welling Jessie turned away from him, "Don't yell at me right now!"

"I'll yell at ya all I want!" the feline persisted, "'Cause dis affects all of us ya know! How we gonna take care of a lil' snot-nosed brat when we can't even take care of ourselves half de time, huh?!"

"Meowth! Knock it off!" snapped James, "Look, we did everything we could to prevent this from happening!"

"Hmph! Wadn't enough I guess! Sheesh, you didn't want me ta say anyting ta de boss but good luck tryin' ta hide a kid wit _dat_ shirt Jess!"

Choosing to ignore his snide remarks, James cautiously reached to touch her face and smiled, unable to hide the nervous waver in his voice, "Hey...we'll figure out a plan. We always do! Right now we should be happy, right? This-"

She slapped his hand away and harshly said, "Happy?! Are you _insane?_ This is terrible! Meowth is absolutely right; we're a mess and the second the boss finds out-!" she finally lost it and broke into shuddering sobs, covering her face with her hands and sinking down to sit on a rock.

It was at this point Meowth thought he heard a noise in the nearby brush, but considering the situation in front of him, chose to ignore it for time being.

Crossing his arms and looking over his human partners, James standing there awkwardly, unsure what to do or say and Jessie bent over, sobbing into her hands, he finally said, "Okay, okay...I'm sorry I yelled at ya. But can ya blame me?"

James cleared his throat, "I suppose not. But anyway, what we need now is a plan, and a good one," exhaling loudly he laced his fingers behind his head and began to pace in nervous circles, "We could always disappear and go off-radar for a while once the situation, um, well, becomes obvious...if we had to to we could always set up another shop for income..."

Wiping her eyes and nose with her sleeve, Jessie sniffled, "Don't strain yourself too much thinking of a plan. I'm not even sure if I'm...going to keep it or not..."


	10. Friends Close, Enemies Closer

Pausing, James gave her a puzzled look before her meaning fully hit him.

Sick to his own stomach, he dropped to his knees in front of her and grabbed her hands with a horrified cry, "No! Nononono! Please don't! Let's talk about this!"

Pulling her hands away she turned her head, "It's my body and my decision!"

Unable to choke back a sob he said desperately, "But-but this is my child too and I have just as much responsibility for this happening! I-I just find out they exist and I already love them with all my heart...doesn't that count for anything?"

She looked back at him incredulously, "You're telling me you actually _want_ to have a kid? What about that freedom you value so much? You can kiss that good-bye."

"To me that freedom is making my own decisions and even mistakes for myself, by myself. That's what it's always been about and this...would be part of that. ...Didn't we say it would take something drastic to make us change careers? Maybe this is it."

Rolling her eyes, Jessie said, "This is more like karma getting us for all the things we've done, or at least for stealing those stupid, useless condoms. Besides, we don't know the first thing about being parents! It's not like either of us exactly have role models to look up to, you know..."

A slight, sad smile played at the corners of his mouth, "We...know what not to do?"

She snorted, a light laugh turning back into a sorrowful cry.

Moving to sit next to her, which she begrudgingly allowed, James again took her hand and swallowed loudly, "Remember when I said I'd stick by your side no mater what? Well, this is not quite what I was picturing but I stand by my words. I'm here and I'm not leaving you."

"Oh, please...you don't have to get all noble and obligated because you got me knocked up..." she muttered.

More seriously he responded, "It's not that. It's because I want to. And..." he looked away, trying not to cry himself and make her feel any worse but failing miserably, "No matter...what you ultimately decide, I love you and I support you."

Her heart and mind raced. She knew she didn't have to make a decision right now, but she would have to soon. And whatever she decided, she knew also it would change things between them forever. If they had a child it would mean the end of their Team Rocket careers and an uncertain future. If they didn't, their carefree, passionate romance was over and she wasn't sure if they'd ever be the same. Suddenly instead of despair, she felt seething rage at the universe and how things were once again ruined for her; she had finally found some happiness and now it was getting torn away. As quickly as the anger came over her, it subsided as her thoughts went to her own mother. What had she felt when she found she was expecting her? Happiness? Disgust? The same mix of fear and anguish that Jessie felt now?

Shaking her head, Jessie finally cried with an answer from her very soul, "I don't know!"

James looked at her curiously but before he could say anything she continued, "I really don't know! Oh, why is this happening?! Why does absolutely everything have to get ruined somehow? A part of me..." she lowered her voice, "A part of me actually probably wouldn't mind this mom thing. Isn't that crazy?! It doesn't make sense and I blame my stupid female genetics. But all things considered...maybe it would be the kinder thing to...never have them at all. That's what moms are supposed to do, right? What's best for their kids?"

As she spoke her voice began to crack until she finally broke into fresh sobs and turned to James, clinging to his jacket and burrowing her face in his shoulder. Wrapping her in his arms, he held her tightly, pressing his face into her hair and cried himself, though he managed to control himself to a degree for her sake. He knew he couldn't fathom the hell she was going through right now and vowed to use every bit of what courage he possessed to be strong for her.

Meowth, who this whole time had been quiet and unsure of what to say, not to mention listening to what he was sure was someone or something lurking in the bushes nearby, found his anger subsiding and his heart softening at the sight of his human friends holding each other and sobbing. He had seen them cry a thousand times, but this was different; this was true emotional turmoil they were going through and it broke to heart to see them in such pain. He found himself thinking that maybe a different career wouldn't be so bad...hadn't he already wasted enough of his nine lives fruitlessly trying to catch one measly Pikachu?

Padding up to them, he layed his paws on Jessie's leg and asked, "Hey guys?"

Wiping their eyes, they looked at him, "...Yes?"

"I been thinkin' here...we've been doin' dis for a long time yeah? And how far have we really gotten? Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to claw our way ta da top some other way," he smiled a little, "Besides, we've been a trio foreva'! Maybe it wouldn't be so bad ta be a quartet."

After being quiet for quite some time, Wobbuffet popped up with an enthusiastic cry, and Meowth rolled his eyes, "Or maybe a _quintet_ is more like it."

Jessie rubbed Wobbuffet's head, who blushed, happy for the affection, and smiled sadly before recalling him, "Thanks for the support, you two. It means a lot. But when it comes down to it," she looked up at the wispy clouds dancing across the sky, "It would still take something big to get us out of this career. We signed a pact with the devil and the only way out is to please him or trick him. It would take something like...actually catching that lousy Pikachu and handing him over for us to be free and for me to consider being able to have this kid," she sniffled, new tears rolling down her cheeks, "And seeing how that's never going to happen..."

She lowered her head and James again put his arms around her, offering the only, feeble comfort he could. Meowth pricked his ears, absolutely certain now they were being watched. Casually walking in seemingly no direction in particular, he got himself closer to the bushes he had been hearing noises from.

Getting close enough, he abruptly whirled and sprung into them, swiping his claws and snarling, "Okay dat's it! Who n' what's dere?!"

James quickly stood, "Meowth?! What's-"

To everyone's shock, Ash and his friends threw themselves into view, screaming and fending off Meowth's Fury Swipes.

Jumping back, the feline kept his claws out and demanded, "Alllright you brats! Whattaya tink you're doin'?!"

Jessie yelled at them in exasperation, "Oh for heaven's sake-! I thought we told you we were leaving you alone!"

"Why did you twerps follow us!?" James asked, clenching his fists.

Standing, Ash brushed the dirt from his jacket and huffed, "Well, after everything you've ever pulled, forgive me for not exactly trusting you! I assumed you were up to something, acting like you weren't going to bother us!"

Jessie stood and asked carefully, her eyes narrowed, "...How much of our conversation did you brats hear...?"

Ash, Serena, and Clemont looked at each other, unsure of the best way to reply, especially with Jessie giving them such a withering glare. Bonnie, however, as usual had no qualms about her response.

"Congratulations! Is it a boy or a girl?!" she cheerfully exclaimed, throwing out her arms.

With a cry of disgust, Jessie turned away and let out a string of curses before looking back at them, "Look; here's the deal, I really, really don't need you kids bothering me right now, so how's about you just, you know, scram?"

James sighed, "We have a lot to figure out...and I know it's a lot to ask, but could you find it in your hearts to just leave us alone? We won't bother you, like we said."

Kicking at the dirt, Ash said, "Actually...I was thinking about helping you."

Everyone stared at him in utter confusion.

Serena spoke up first, "But Ash! After everything they've done?"

Looking at her, Ash explained, "I've known these guys a long time. They've driven me nuts, sure, but they've also helped me out a lot. And with this...well, maybe it's my turn to help them."

Jessie felt her eyes well up, "You'd do that for us?!"

"I guess so!" the young trainer laughed, "But honestly, I really don't have a plan. So, maybe we can come up with one together?"

James could feel his own eyes water, "You're the best, kid!"

Gesturing toward Pikachu, Ash said, "Catching him has always been the goal, along with whatever other Pokemon you can get, right? Well...is there any way you can trick your boss into thinking you've caught him?"

Pikachu looked up at him, "Pii-ka?!"

Stopping down, Ash said, "Hey, think of it this way buddy; if their boss thinks you've been caught, they'll have no reason to chase you anymore!"

The mouse Pokemon let his ears droop as he thought about it, then perked them back up, "Pi!" he nodded.

Gasping at the sudden flash of inspiration he felt, James began to pace back and forth, "That's brilliant! If the boss thought we had him he'd surely be pleased! Maybe enough to send us on another assignment of our choosing..." he looked at Jessie.

She nodded and finished his thought, "Far enough away from headquarters that we could effectively disappear."

Meowth held up a paw, "What if he thought we was really gone-like, goners?"

"Are you talking about faking our deaths?" asked James.

With a nod Meowth explained, "If he thought we was dead, well, we'd never have ta worry about reporting in or anyting ta do wit Team Rocket again, right?"

Grabbing him in a hug, Jessie giggled, "Thank you, Meowth!"

And so, in a strange turn of events, enemies found themselves on the same side as they put their heads together coming up with a plan. James and Clemont found themselves working together on the the technical, mechanical aspects while Ash, Serena, and Meowth hatched the rest of it and both halves put their respective ideas together once they had some good ones. Jessie was participating a first, but soon found herself distracted by her own thoughts and so walked off to sit on a tree stump, half-listening. Soon, bored with the complicated nature of the plan and not really understanding a lot of what they were talking about anyway, Bonnie wandered over and plunked onto a log beside her, looking up at the red-haired woman with a wide grin.

Flicking her gaze in Bonnie's direction, Jessie raised an eyebrow, "Yes?"

"You never answered my question!"

"What question?"

Kicking her feet, Bonnie repeated, "Boy or girl?"

Blushing fiercely, Jessie looked away, "I have no idea! It's too early to-oh, go ask your parents about these things!"

Giggling, Bonnie said, "I'll bet they'll be the cutest!"

Her shoulders sinking, Jessie looked at the blonde girl sitting there, still kicking her feet and beaming up at her with a sweet, innocent smile.

A slight grin tugging at the corner of her own mouth, she said, "I'm sure they will be..."

Just then, James stood and coughed, "Everyone?"

All tuned to look at him as he continued, "We think we have a pretty fool-proof idea here. We just need to all go over it and make sure we work out any kinks. After that, we'll need a little acting and a lot of luck..."


	11. No Turning Back

Days later, a secretary knocked on the door of Giovanni's office and when he gave permission, poked her head in, "Three agents are here to see you, sir. They say it's very important."

"I'll be the judge of that," he replied, not looking up from the paperwork spread across his desk, "Send them in."

With a bow the secretary backed out and Jessie, James and Meowth slipped inside, holding a large square object draped with a cloth from which furious snarls and rattling came.

"Oh. It's you lot," Giovanni sighed, rubbing his temples, already anticipating a headache, "What is it? So help me, you had better not be wasting my time."

"Sir, once you see what we have, I think you'll be quite thrilled," said Jessie, "James, show him!"

James yanked off the cloth with a flourish, revealing a clearly livid Pikachu in a thick plastic cube with cables and a bulb attached to the top, his fur bristled, growling and sparking his cheeks.

Giovanni's face fell, "You bother me, interrupt my very busy day," standing his slammed a fist on his desk, causing his dozing Persian to startle awake and leap away and roared, " _to bring me a damned Pikachu!?"_

They cringed as he continued to rage, "This may escape your tiny brains but _I have an organization to run here!_ There are much more significant things that command my time and energy than entertaining your pathetic attempts to bring me something useful! You have exactly ten seconds to get out of my sight before I shoot you myself!"

Shaking, James raised a finger, "S-sir?! If we may, this is no ordinary Pikachu!"

"Yeah!' added Meowth, "Dis is de one we been tellin' ya about!"

"It's power is incredible! Would you allow us to give a demonstration?" Jessie asked with a nervous laugh.

Looking at her, Giovanni cocked an eyebrow and wondered aloud, "You look a little green, Jessie..."

Straightening herself, she replied, "Something I ate, I believe. I'll be fine, sir."

Sitting again, the large man waved a hand, "I didn't ask if you were okay. And the more I think about it, I suppose if you've gone to all this trouble wasting my money, I might as well see what you've dredged up. Get on with it then."

The trio nodded at each other and James held up the cube, "Alright you little rodent! We finally stole you and you'll never see your trainer again! What do you have to say about that?!"

Pikachu hissed and flattened his ears, electricity crackling inside his cage and Giovanni rolled his eyes, "Is that it?"

Trying to rile him up even more, Jessie laughed at him, "You're now property of Team Rocket and we can do whatever we want with you! How's the rest of your life as a lab rat sound? Your trainer will be looking for you all over and he'll never, ever find-"

With an angry yowl, Pikachu let loose with a full-force Thunder attack, lighting up the bulb on top of his prison. A millisecond later, it exploded from the sheer force of the blast, shooting broken shards in all directions. Giovanni cried out in surprise and raised an arm to shield himself while James yelped and dropped Pikachu as the trio flung themselves behind a large potted palm. Arcs of electricity leapt around the room, shattering the light bulbs in the ceiling, carving cracks in the walls and loosening floor tiles. The noise was terrific and everyone's hair stuck out from the static-filled air. Persian yowled and danced around, trying to avoid getting shocked.

'It worked perfectly!' James thought excitedly.

 _-Clemont pointed to a small piece hidden within the light-bulb portion of his schematic drawing and proudly grinned, "And lastly, this will magnify Pikachu's attack by several times when it comes into contact with the electricity!"_

 _Nodding, James said, "That's brilliant! I wouldn't have thought of that. You know, you're really quite remarkable for such a young kid," he half-smiled, "This explains how you guys always beat us so easily..."_

 _Blinking at the lavender-haired man, Clemont found himself unsure of how to respond without coming off as insulting, and considering the fragile truce they had here, he took the best option available and cleared his throat before pointing to another part of the drawing, "I was going to put the inner release button here...how's that look?"_

 _Grateful for the change of subject so his mind couldn't wallow in depressing thoughts any further, James nodded, "Looks good to me," standing from where they had been using a large rock as a table, he said, "Let's get started!"_

 _Adjusting his glasses, Clemont chuckled, "Indeed!"_

 _Putting their heads together, it didn't take long for them to have a working unit assembled. James held the thick plastic cube as he and Clemont explained to the rest of their group how it worked._

 _"Once Pikachu is inside," said Clemont, "It will appear as if he's stuck, but in actuality there's a button on the inside that he can tap to open the cage and escape!"_

 _Holding it out, James said, "Hop in and give it a try Pikachu!"_

 _The electric Pokemon only glared at him and darted behind Ash. James looked at him with bewilderment and Jessie started to laugh, saying that she didn't blame him one bit._

 _Kneeling down, Ash scratched Pikachu behind the ears, "Hey buddy...I know you don't trust them. But I'm right here, and so are the rest of our friends. If they dare to try anything, we'll be able to stop them quick! So go ahead, give it a shot!"_

 _Pikachu looked at his trainer as if he'd lost his marbles, then at Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont, who all nodded in agreement, Bonnie giving him a thumbs-up. So, he turned and carefully walked toward James, stopping a couple feet away. With a sympathetic smile and a nod, James set it down on the ground and backed away. Pikachu approached the cube, hesitating and then finally stepping inside. It snapped shut and he started, scratching at the walls._

 _"Whoa! It's okay!" cried Clemont, going to him, "Look! Do you see that bolt in the corner that's a little smaller? Push it!"_

 _Pikachu tapped it and one side swung back open. He squeaked happily and ran back over to Ash, who scooped him up and chuckled._

 _Looking up at Team Rocket, Ash said, "Okay, what's next?"_

Giovanni stared in disbelief at the small Pokemon before him as bits of plaster and tile fell around them like snow, "I should be furious at the damage to my office but-how in the world can one Pikachu be _that_ powerful?!"

Stepping back into view, Jessie explained, "This is exactly why we've been trying to get him for you, sir!"

Breaking into a devious grin, Giovanni clapped his hands together, "And now, seeing it's power with my own eyes, I'm so glad you did!" he looked up at them, "I've hardly ever been this pleased with my agents, and certainly never with you three. Excellent job!"

"Thank you, sir!" they said in unison.

Hitting a button on his desk, Giovanni said crisply, "Doctor Falden? I'm having three agents bring a unique specimen to you and your team. You know what to do."

Clearing his throat, Giovanni stepped out from behind his desk and approached them as James was picking up the cage with a still-indignant Pikachu, "I suppose I should reward you for this little yellow gem."

"Wha-whatever you tink is best! Yer da boss!" said Meowth cheerfully with a salute.

"Alright then," sneered Giovanni, "Your new assignment is this: head back to Kalos, help us secure base locations throughout the region. Continue to locate and capture any rare, powerful or otherwise valuable Pokemon to further our goals. I'll be checking in periodically. For now, take this Pikachu to Doctor Falden in Lab Twenty-Three. In addition, I'll have Matori give you a substantial bit of money on your way there to carry out your mission, in addition to a bit extra as a personal thanks from me."

As he reached out toward Pikachu, the small Pokemon snapped his teeth and growled at him.

With a hearty laugh Giovanni said, "Ah, he's a feisty one! Well, we'll break him of that. Dismissed!"

Bowing, the trio backed out and began to make their way down the the research labs on the lower levels. They were mainly silent; as much as they had rehearsed and gone over the plan, they couldn't help the nervousness they all felt. Nonetheless, they managed to maintain an air of cool confidence, nodding and saying quiet, polite hello's to the agents they passed on their journey. At one point, Jessie paused to lean against a wall and held her abdomen, taking deep breaths and calming another wave of nausea as she snapped at a group of young agents who had paused to look at them to mind their own business.

James started to lay a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off with a curt, "Oh stop that! I'm okay!" and shot him a quick nervous glance.

He nodded, understanding, and waited for her to shrug it off after which they continued on their way. Pikachu flattened his ears and whined, nervous in the stark halls and surrounded by enemies, to which James whispered soothingly that it'd be okay. Pikachu glanced at Meowth, feeling a slightly stronger kinship and trust in a fellow Pokemon. The feline grinned and gave him a wink.

Entering the heavy door marked 'Lab 23', Jessie asked, "Doctor Falden?"

The room they stepped into was largely empty space. A strange, acrid odor permeated the area, and Jessie had to breathe as little as possible to avoid being sick again. There were several pieces of strange-looking equipment scattered about, the uses of which they weren't sure they wanted to know, along with one wall of computers and other recording machines. A small group of people in lab coats gave them curious glances but swiftly went back to whatever work they were engaged in.

A tall, slender, vaguely twitchy man shuffled forward, tapping his fingers together, "Ah! So this is what Master Giovanni was talking about! Oooh! How intriguing! A mere Pikachu and yet-my my my! How curious! Curious indeed! Well, if out dear leader finds this little bastard to be worth our time it must be! Please agents, leave it right here," he gestured to a nearby table, "We'll take good care of it! Well, sort of-never mind!"

Without hesitation, James placed Pikachu where indicated and they left, heading back to the upper floors.

Falden leaned down to peer at Pikachu, "Ooh, what surprises do you hold for me?! Well, I'll find out, one way or antoehr..."

Out in the hall, Meowth discreetly tapped the small microphone hidden by his fur near his mouth and said quietly, "Pikachu, come in...can you hear me?"

 _-Slapping the stick he was using as a pointer into his paw to emphasize the importance of the situation and his authority in it before jabbing said stick at the map spread upon the ground, Meowth said, "Allllright! Listen up troops! Dis is gonna be tricky so pay attention!"_

 _Everyone was gathered around the map as they continued to work out their plan. Meowth, having intimate knowledge of the inner workings of Team Rocket headquarters, as well as a swiped copy of the entire base's layout including halls, rooms, security, electric, water and air systems, had declared himself the leader in this portion of their scheme._

 _He looked at Pikachu, "De first part is de trickiest. Once ya get yourself outta dat cage, ya gotta head straight for de nearest air vent. Every lab room, which is more 'n likely where de boss is gonna have us take ya, has two of 'em by de floor on opposite sides," he pointed, "It doesn't matter which one ya get to; once you're in I can guide ya from there. Okay so far?"_

 _Pikachu nodded firmly, so digging into a bag Meowth continued, "We got dese lil' communicators dat are so small ya can barely see 'em," he held out two half-inch long black, oblong objects, "I'll have one, you have one, den we can talk ta euchudda and I can guide ya!"_

 _Leaning forward, Clemont asked excitedly, "Oh, can I see one of those?!"_

 _Meowth handed him one, and the boy turned it over in his hands, studying it closely, "This is amazing! It's so tiny!"_

 _Jessie grinned proudly, "They're a lovely little bit of Team Rocket technology aren't they? We 'borrowed' them last time we were at headquarters."_

 _"The clip on them easily attaches to our jacket collars," added James, "We've used them many times and they've always worked perfectly."_

 _Serena asked, "Well, if Pikachu and Meowth are going to wear them, is there any way to make them even harder to spot, like say coloring them to match their fur?"_

 _Meowth clicked his fingers, "I like da way ya tink, kid! Good idea. Now, back to dis map..."_

In his cage, Pikachu kept a wary eye on Doctor Falden as he walked away, muttering things to several assistants along the way, one of whom gave the electric mouse a glance and picked up a pair of rubber gloves from a nearby table.

Meowth's voice again buzzed in Pikachu's ear, _"Do ya see de air vents?"_

Pikachu looked around, after a moment spotting one about half-way across the room, "Pi!"

 _"Good! Okay lil' buddy, you remember what ta do!"_

The man who had taken the gloves tugged them on as he approached Pikachu, "Alright...let's get started, then," he looked down at the scowling Pokemon and shook his head, "This is not what I signed up for. Oh well."

Reaching for the outside latch on the cage, the lab tech sighed as Pikachu backed into a corner and growled at him, "Look, if you just cooperate, things will be easier for you, okay? Well, not really, I guess. Come on..."


	12. Claws Out

As he started to un-do the latch, Pikachu hit his hidden escape button and leapt straight up and out of the cube, startling the lab tech. Landing on and using the man's head as a spring-board, he shot across the table and jumped to the floor, making a bee-line for the air-vent amid the chaos that had erupted. Doctor Falden roared for someone to catch him, viciously slapping the lab tech who had been dealing with him and berating him for letting Pikachu escape. Several assistants scrambled and dove in a desperate attempt to grab the small Pokemon. Pikachu sneered at them and let loose with Agility, effortlessly dodging them as he smashed open the air-vent's cover with a well-aimed Iron Tail and rocketed inside, leaving a chaotic and desperate scene in his wake.

Running over to the shattered vent, shoving aside several lab techs, Doctor Falden pulled a Pokeball from his pocket and tossed it, calling, "Rotom! I need you!"

Appearing, the small Pokemon trilled and turned to face his master.

A nervous assistant asked, "Do-do you think we should let someone know about this?"

Glowering at him, Doctor Falden said, "No! Not yet! Fool! No no! Of course not! We must try to handle this ourselves first."

Turning back to his Pokemon and pointing into the vent, he explained, "Rotom, we have an escapee; a Pikachu. I need you to go and retrieve him. He's very powerful, yes, quite strong, so it's best to use caution. _Don't fail me_. And remember, this is important, yes, very important," he wagged a finger at Rotom, "He needs to be _alive_. We don't need a repeat of last time, now do we?"

"Ro!" he cried with a nod, and turned, gliding inside.

Deeper into the air-ducts, Pikachu paused and tapped his communicator, "Pika-pi, piika!" he said quickly; _"_ Meowth, I'm in! _"_

 _-"Now den," said Meowth, pointing to a section of the map, "De main power generator for de base is here. Ya can't really have an evil organization wit a secret base and keep it secret for long if yer connected ta de grid, ya know? So, we generate our own. We use a lotta power, not just for normal tings like lights 'n such, but also for all de sciency stuff de boss has goin' on down in de labs. Luckily dis generator makes more den enough power-so much in fact dat it needs three smaller generators in separate rooms encircling it ta absorb and re-distribute all dat energy ta de rest of de base."_

 _James continued, "It's a balancing and fail-safe system. The smaller generators act as buffers, taking some of the excess energy from the main one. Otherwise it would overload. In addition, if one generator breaks, the other two will continue to function while the broken one is repaired to keep the whole system running smoothly."_

 _"But if something were to happen to all three at the same time..." Jessie grinned deviously, "It'd be a disaster!"_

 _Meowth said, "Dat's where you come in, Pikachu! Ya see dese lil' blue lines? Dese are de air vent system. The ducts run throughout the base, and a bunch of dem connect to de labs, which just happen to be right near de generator rooms which share the same vent tunnels!"_

 _"So Pikachu could easily get from the lab to any and all of the generators?" asked Serena._

 _"No problem!" said Meowth with a wave of his paw._

 _"Then what?" Bonnie wondered._

 _Tracing the lines snaking across the paper, Jessie said, "Listen Pikachu; if you can get to all three rooms and Thunderbolt the crap out of those generators in quick enough succession, it would overwhelm the power system faster than they could repair or shut it down."_

 _"You wouldn't even have to leave the air vents. You could just zap one, run to the next room, repeat for all three and be done." said James._

 _Meowth held out his paws, "Here's da real tricky part; once you break 'em, the main generator will go into over-drive and well, heh, explode. Ya gotta get outta dere as fast as ya can."_

 _As Ash tried to make sense of the complex map he asked, "And how would he manage to escape?"_

 _"Easily!" James said reassuringly, "The same ducts connect to outside intake vents. Pick one, get to the outside grate, smash it open and presto! Mission accomplished!"_

 _Petting Pikachu's head, Ash asked him, "So, what do you think, buddy?"_

 _Despite the very tempting prospect of never being bothered by Team Rocket again, the small Pokemon had to think about it. It was a dangerous and tricky thing to pull off after all. One wrong step and he could very well end up being a science project for the rest of his sure-to-be-brief life if caught, or suffer a quicker but equally terrible fate if he didn't get out in time. On the other hand, to never have to watch over his shoulder anymore was sure to be a welcome relief. Also, as his trainer had said, they had helped them out of a jam many times. Maybe it was time for a little mercy and forgiveness..._

 _With a confident salute, Pikachu smiled, "Piii-kaa!"_

The trio was sitting at a small, out-of-the-way corner table in the base's cafeteria area, munching some food and chatting, trying to look as normal as possible. James and Meowth each had their own plates in front of them, while Jessie had grabbed a tray and piled it with as many plates as it could hold, each heaped with a wide assortment of goodies.

As she gleefully dug in, James smiled with relief, "It's good to see you eating again."

Through a mouth-full of fruit she answered, "Now that I don't feel so awful, I'm making up for lost time! And sick or not, there's so way I'm passing up a chance for free food!"

He started to make a smart remark regarding eating for two, but managed to stop himself, especially with his companions shooting him a 'don't-even-think-about-it' glare.

Suddenly Meowth perked up and slyly looked around to make sure they weren't being watched before resting his head on one paw, quietly saying, "Alright, good job! You're by lab twenty-three so go straight ahead and at de first junction, hang a left. De second opening ya come ta will be de first sub-generator room. Here's a tip ta help ya out; pretend dat machine is us if ya need a power boost."

Pikachu giggled to himself and took off at a run, soon coming to said junction. Dashing to the left, he came to the second vent opening and stopped to peer inside. An enormous, hulking black metal and steel machine stood in the center of the room, cables snaking from it to the walls and a couple white-coated techs lounging at a folding table playing cards. They looked bored and of course didn't see the small electric Pokemon gearing up his attack until it was far too late.

A crackling blast of electricity surged across the room and struck the generator head-on, causing a terrific screeching, grinding noise. Suddenly, a flurry of alarms went off, and one tech dashed to the generator, trying to shut it down while the other went to the vent and tried to figure out where the hell that had come from. By the time he got there, however, Pikachu was long gone and on his way to the next room.

Grabbing a phone on the wall, he jabbed a couple numbers and frantically cried, "Sir?! Something's going on; I think we may be under attack!"

Rounding the next corner, Pikachu skidded to a halt as he found himself faced with an unexpected dead-end.

Looking around, he froze, unsure of which way to go and so cried into his microphone, "Piii?! Pika-pi kaaaa!"

Having finished their feast, the trio were making their way back towards the labs on the pretense of having dropped something when Pikachu's frantic call came in.

Meowth's fur bristled and he forced himself to keep a straight face, "What?! Okay, don't panic...turn around and make a right at the first junction-that'll take you back around in the other direction. You'll have to hurry a little more but it'll still work."

"Problem?" asked Jessie quietly.

Shaking his head, Meowth replied, "Nah, just a lil' hiccup. We got it-"

Rounding a corner, the group found themselves face-to-face with and nearly ran into just about the worst thing they possibly could-Butch and Cassidy.

A sneer spreading across her face, violet eyes narrowing, Cassidy said in a syrupy-sweet tone, "Well, well, well! Long time no see! Never thought you losers would have the guts to show your faces around here again!"

"Nice to see you too, Cassidy..." muttered Jessie through gritted teeth.

"Hello, _John_." Butch grinned.

James smirked back at him, "And hello to you, oh what was it? Botch? Hutch? Dear me, I can never remember."

Stepping forward a bit, Butch raised a fist and growled, "So help me I will break that smug, pretty-boy face of yours-!"

Stepping forward so that she was nearly between them and raising her hands, Cassidy sighed, "Gentlemen, _please_ ; enough with the testosterone. You can get your rulers out later, although I can't imagine that they'd be necessary considering Tutu-boy here, am I right?"

James crossed his arms and looked away with a huff, and Meowth finally piped up, "Whattya want?! We're kinda busy!"

Ignoring him and planting her hands on her hips, Cassidy asked, "So just what are you doing back anyway? Come to collect your things? Did the boss finally fire you useless idiots?"

Clenching her fists, Jessie stalked toward her but only got a couple steps before James snatched her by the arm and hissed, "Jess, don't! She 's not worth it!"

"That's right sweetie, listen to your little guard-pup," said Cassidy sarcastically, then looked at James with a feigned look of sympathy, "James dear, I do hope you're at least getting pity-sex out of this deal-you deserve _something_ for having to put up with her."

James flushed red and he nearly lost his grip on Jessie's arm for a second, who was trying to wrench herself from his grasp and lunge at the blonde girl, snarling, "One swing, James, just give me one swing!"

"No!" he sternly replied, using most of his strength to pull her back to him and glaring at her with a knowing look,"We have _more important_ things to worry about now, remember?!"

Relaxing a little, the rage and adrenaline still pumping through her veins but cooling down, Jessie thought inwardly, 'Dammit, he's right...I hate it sometimes when he's right. Okay kid; for your sake I guess I won't curb-stomp this bitch.'

Cassidy raised an eye-brow, "Oh? Such as...?"

Stepping back and straightening herself, Jessie said casually, "I suppose you have a point, James. After all, the boss gave us an important mission, and we have to get started on it."

Butch and Cassidy's smirks fell, with Butch saying, "You're lying..."

"To answer your question, that's why we're here," said James, "We just brought the boss a very rare and valuable gift, and he was so grateful that he gave us a crucial mission!"

Cassidy pouted, "I don't believe you!"

"Go ask de man yerself if ya don't believe us!" chuckled Meowth, hopping onto James' shoulder.

Smiling, the trio stepped around them and continued walking on their way, Cassidy and Butch yelling after them to come back.

Determined to have the last word, Jessie called over her shoulder, "You shouldn't get so worked up, Cassidy; you'll get wrinkles! See you hopefully never, honey!"

As they stepped out of sight, Cassidy crossed her arms, "I think they're full of shit."

"Well, of course they are," replied Butch, "But I really don't think even they'd lie about something that could be so easily checked. We do have a meeting with the boss later, we'll just ask him."

"There was something else about them too...something I can't put my finger on..." she said more to herself than anyone.

Butch asked, "You don't think they're, you know, actually banging do you?"

Waving a hand Cassidy said, "Ugh, there's a mental image I never needed...and nah, I know her, and there's no way Jess would put out for someone like him."

"You're probably right, but," he grinned sideways at her, "People will surprise you...we should know."

Flushing pink, she lightly slapped his arm, "Butch! Shush! Not around here...anyway, let's get going, _we_ actually have work to do."

As they rounded the corner, Jessie slipped her hand into James' for just a moment, giving it a squeeze and flashing him a smile before letting go, "Thanks..." she dropped her voice so low she was barely audible and added, "For both of us."

 _-With plans finalized, they agreed the best way to reach their destination was the high-speed train system. The nearest station, however, was several towns back. The trio offered to air-lift them all via their balloon, and while Ash, Serena and Clemont were standing there hesitantly, Bonnie had already run to the balloon and scrambled into the basket, hopping around, playing with the wheel and happily yelling "Prepare for take-off!" while making air-plane noises._

 _"Well...that settles that." sighed Clemont._


	13. Always a Catch

_Upon reaching town, their odd party made their way to the train station with the Rockets in disguise and took some time to study the schedules. Working it out and realizing they had a little time before their train arrived, the two groups split up with the agreement to meet back later at the appropriate platform._

 _Ash, of course, headed for the cafe, and the rest of his friends followed. James discreetly slipped Serena a little money and requested something mild for Jessie, who had wandered off to a quiet corner of the station to lean against a wall as she stared out the window. Meowth was stretched out right near her in a patch of sunlight on a bench._

 _Serena smiled, "Of course, James...or should I say Jeeves?"_

 _James inhaled sharply, then smiled sheepishly at his feet, "Ah, I see you figured that out."_

 _"Yeah, eventually I realized it was you," she started to turn away but paused to say quietly, "...Thank you for helping Braxien and me that day. Um, may I ask...why you decided to do that?"_

 _James shyly rubbed the back of his neck, "It's going to be a long train ride...I'll tell you on the way."_

 _Serena smiled back at him, nodded, and trotted off._

 _Walking over to Jessie, James asked, "Hey...how you doing?"_

 _Hugging herself, she replied, "Well, considering we're about to turn traitor...surprisingly well."_

 _"Do you think this plan will really work?"_

 _"That kid and his friends have some kind of divine luck, I swear," she said with an eye-roll, "Anything they do seems to work out flawlessly. I'm counting on some of that luck rubbing off on us."_

 _Nonchalantly waving a paw, Meowth chimed in, "Ehhh, we got dis all worked out. We'll be fine."_

 _James laced his fingers behind his head, "I sure hope you're right, Meowth."_

 _They stood looking out the window at the setting sun, lost in their own thoughts. Jessie looked up at James, his face frozen in a mask of deep thought and concern. Suddenly, his gaze flicked to meet hers, and his expression softened. Smiling widely, the sun made his green eyes light up even more. The unconditional love and quiet strength she saw there nearly made her cry. Though her heart and mind were already made up, this clinched it even further._

 _Looking back out the window, she said, "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into, James, because I am not going to be the one changing diapers."_

 _He yawned, "It can't be that difficult, right? I mean-" suddenly his arms dropped and he turned to her as her words hit him, "Waitaminute-!" his eyes welled up, "Does-does that mean?!"  
_

 _"I can't believe I'm actually saying this but..." she sighed and glanced back at him with a soft smile, "Yeah."_

 _Laughing loudly, he scooped her up and swung her around a couple times, causing other people to stare and Jessie to snarl at him to put her down or she was going to puke on him._

 _Promptly setting her on her feet, he held her in a gentler hug, touching his forehead to hers and crying quietly, "I'm so happy, this is..." abruptly his head snapped up, eyes wide, "Holy crap I'm gonna be a dad!"_

 _Jessie rolled her eyes at him with a snort of laughter, "Very good, genius. When did you figure that one out?"_

 _Gingerly, he reached forward and laid a hand on her belly, which she quickly swatted away, blushing, "Oh stop it! You can't tell yet!"_

 _"Yeah, I guess you're right!" he chuckled, wiping his eyes on his sleeve, "But I know they're there..."_

 _As they held each other, allowing everything to sink in, Jessie tightened her grip a little on his shirt, swallowing hard and confessing, "James I'm uh...kinda scared. I don't know the first thing about kids...you have to feed them and clothe them and keep them from falling off stuff. After that I'm pretty much lost."_

 _"Are you kidding?! I'm terrified!" he laughed nervously, sniffling hard, "But we have some time to figure out some of the basics, and after that, we'll just have to do our best to love them and be there for them, right?"_

 _Meowth sat up and leaned on the back of the bench to face them, "I know dis is a happy moment for you humans n' all, and I hate ta be bearer of bad news, but someone in dis group has ta be de responsible one...where are we plannin' on gettin' de money ta feed, clothe and keep dis kid from fallin' off stuff?"_

 _"One thing at a time, Meowth, one thing at a time," said Jessie, "Once this scheme is complete, we'll worry about that."_

 _Nodding, Meowth said, "Dat's fair, I guess. One more ting, just ta be clear, I ain't changin' no diapers neitha'."_

 _James smiled, "Very well, Uncle Meowth. But then there's always bath time."_

 _Meowth's ears drooped and he narrowed his eyes, "I'll be an uncle, but I ain't gonna be no nanny!"_

In the air ducts, Pikachu had followed Meowth's directions and was back on track. He was nearly to the second generator room when he heard a clanking noise behind him. Pausing, he turned and got a glimpse of something just around the corner.

"Pi?" he said; _"Hello?"_

Rotom floated into view, _"You need to come with me."_

 _"I can't! I have a job to do!"_

 _"And so do I,"_ Rotom caused sparks to fly off of himself in a show of aggression, _"My master has told me to bring you to him. Please cooperate and I won't have to hurt you."_

Pikachu narrowed his eyes, _"I'm not coming with you. I understand you need to obey your trainer but so do I. Leave me alone and I won't fight you."_

Glaring at him,Rotom increased it's power so that it was now surrounded by a halo of crackling energy, _"Are you sure you wish to refuse me?"_

Pikachu hesitated. He had seen a Rotom's abilities and knew what they were capable of. Thinking quickly, he nodded, _"Fine. I'll come with you."_

Walking calmly toward Rotom, Pikachu got himself as close as possible, then spun around and whipped his tail at him, unleashing an Electro Ball attack. It struck Rotom dead on and flung him into the metal walls with a sickening crunch. Without waiting to see if his foe was down, Pikachu whirled and dashed away, realizing that he was going to have to finish his task faster than ever.

 _"Meowth!"_ he cried, _"There's a Rotom chasing me!"_

The trio were hanging out in a small lounge area, waiting to make sure Pikachu was going to be okay while Jessie happily devoured a bag of chips that she had assaulted a vending machine to retrieve.

Meowth swallowed and quietly replied, "What?! Ah geez...um, de only ting you can do is try and outrun it. Where are you? ...Okay, good. If ya take de next right, it'll lead ya straight to de next room."

James leaned forward, "What's the matter?"

Glancing up, trying to suppress his panic, Meowth said, "Someone sent dere Rotom after Pikachu!"

As he said this, several agents came running by. Jessie lunged and grabbed one by the arm, asking what was going on.

Pulling away, the agent said with annoyance, "We got a report of a Pokemon loose in the air system. We're heading down to the control room now." With that he ran to re-join his fellows.

Gasping quietly, James looked up at Jessie, "I hadn't counted on this! What do we do?"

Setting down her chips, Jessie thought for a moment before snapping her fingers and moving closer to them, "Since she evolved, Gourgeist is way too big, but...isn't Inkay small enough to fit in those vents?"

Realizing where she was going with this, James grinned and fought off the urge to kiss her, "Yes! I could send him in to help!"

Casually making his way across the room to the nearest air vent cover, James popped off a couple screws using only his fingers to open one side of it and released Inkay, discreetly saying, "Listen, my friend...I have a mission for you, probably, no, definitely the most important one I've ever asked of you. Pikachu is in these vents, and he needs your assistance. Find him, and do whatever you can to help. I'm-we're counting on you."

Using his tentacles, Inkay gave his trainer a cheerful squeak and a salute before turning and zipping into the air duct.

Roughly a mile away, on a thickly wooded bluff overlooking the road and the valley it wound off into, Ash and his friends sat nervously awaiting Pikachu's return. Bonnie, Serena and Clemont had chosen comfy spots on the grass, but Ash was crouching on a rock, the high-powered binoculars James had lent him glued to his eyes and trained on the direction his friend had gone.

Standing to stretch her legs, Serena wandered over to Ash and settled herself next to him, "See anything yet?"

"No...not yet." the young trainer sighed, lowering the binoculars.

"Ash, I know it's a little late to ask this but...do you think this was a good idea? Like, can you really trust them?"

Half-smiling at her, Ash said, "As crazy as it sounds, yeah, I actually do. Sure, they've pulled all sorts of dirty tricks, but this time I..." he looked back out over the valley, "It's hard to explain, but I just kind of know."

 _-The group stood within the protective circle of ancient trees, going over their plan one last time before carrying it out. Jessie and James were back in their usual uniforms, with James holding Pikachu's temporary prison, although it had yet to contain the mouse Pokemon._

 _Gesturing off toward the valley floor and a barely visible cluster of buildings, Jessie explained, "See that? Down there is the base, partially hidden by the trees and a network of hills. This is as far as you four can go; right past this spot is where the security cameras begin."_

 _"There's security cameras in the woods?" asked Bonnie._

 _"How else do ya expect ta keep a secret base secret?" said Meowth with a shrug._

 _James handed Ash a pair of heavy binoculars, "Here, take these; they're our best ones. You can keep an eye on things from here."_

 _"What if something goes wrong?" wondered Clemont._

 _There was silence for a moment before Ash took a few steps toward Team Rocket, taking a deep breath and looking them square in the eyes, "I hope you guys know how hard this is for me, and for Pikachu; how hard it is for us to trust you after everything you've ever done. Even now, with all our plans set and getting this far, and even though this was kind of my idea in the first place..." he quickly dropped his gaze to his feet, "I'm counting on you three to bring Pikachu back, safe and sound."_

 _The trio looked at each other, knowing that he was absolutely justified in how he felt. Setting the cage on the ground, James reached out and flicked the brim of Ash's hat, causing him to start and look back up._

 _Smiling broadly, James said, "You got it, Ash."_

 _"Yeah!" Meowth chimed in, "We got dis in de bag!"_

 _Jessie smiled and nodded in agreement, "We'll make sure he's okay."_

 _Having perfect timing as usual, Wobbuffet appeared and gave Ash a wave, "Woooba! Wobbuffet!"_

 _Meowth translated, "He says he'll keep us in line."_

 _Ash laughed and something about them, something about how they spoke to him now, put his heart at ease._

Nodding, Ash took Pikachu from his shoulder and gave the small Pokemon a strong hug, saying to him, "You sure you're still up for this, little buddy?"

 _Pikachu grinned at him and rubbed his cheek against Ash's with a confident squeak. As Ash set him down, Pikachu went over to Team Rocket, hesitating for just a moment before finally entering the plastic cube. James picked it up, and with a final nod to each other and Ash, the trio turned away and started walking away down the path._

 _A short ways down the road, James suddenly paused, causing the others to stop and look back at him._

 _"What?" asked Meowth._

 _He swallowed, "Hey Jess? I just realized, well, not just just realized but now that we're getting this close I'm not so sure that-"_

 _Crossing her arms, Jessie snapped, "Spit it out already!"_

 _His words tumbling out in a jumble he said, "I think m-maybe it'd be best if you hung back, you know, because-what if something does go wrong? It's not safe for you in your condition!"_

 _Jessie pursed her lips before stomping forward and grabbing him by the collar, "Condition?! Seriously? I'm not made of glass for heaven's sake! I see what you're doing and as noble as it is I still don't need to be rescued-even in my condition," letting go, she more gently grasped his arm, "If both of us don't show up, it'll raise questions, and we need to act as normal as possible. We both got ourselves into this, and we're both going to get ourselves out of it. Or did you forget we're a team?"_

 _He sighed and smiled, "Of course. Just promise you'll be careful and not get yourself into any unnecessary fights, okay?"_

 _"Fine, fine! I'll try." she replied, giving him a soft kiss._

 _Pikachu and Meowth looked at each other and made gagging faces._


	14. It All Falls Apart

Dashing through the vents as fast as he could without running into any walls or losing his way, Pikachu soon came upon the second generator room. Peering through the vent cover, he noticed that instead of lounging around, the two technicians were walking about and obviously on edge. Pikachu had to scoot back further into the vent as one of them got close. Suddenly, he bumped into something soft, and spinning around came face-to-face with the same, clearly furious Rotom.

 _"Liar!"_ it spat, _"You'll pay for this!"_

Before Pikachu could run, it shot out Confuse Ray, hitting him and taking effect. Pikachu stumbled back, dizzy and unable to focus. Eyes glowing a ghastly red, it began charging it's Hex attack, blackish-purple energy surrounding it. And then, out of seemingly nowhere, a Psybeam struck Rotom dead-on, once again sending him flying. Inkay swooped around the corner and approached Pikachu.

 _"Are you okay?!"_ he asked.

Shaking off the Confuse Ray, Pikachu sat up and stared at him incredulously, _"What are you doing here?!"_

Chirping with pride, Inkay explained, _"My trainer sent me to help you! So, what's the plan?"_

Looking toward Rotom, who was stunned but not defeated and slowly pulling itself back up, Pikachu swiftly said, _"We have to destroy two generators while dodging this guy and then get out of here before the place blows up. "_

Inkay's eyes widened, _"What!? Oooh boy. Well, let's get on that!"_

Nodding, Pikachu darted back to the opening to the generator room, Inkay watching his back. Charging up a Thunderbolt, the technicians didn't have time to react before the bolts of electricity shot across the room and punched ragged holes in the generator. As before, alarms began to wail and they both desperately pounced on the machine, trying to safely shut it down.

The younger of the pair dashed for the phone and nearly dropped the receiver in his rush to relay the news, "This is Gen Room 3! I believe we've been hit by the same attack that took out G2! Requesting further instructions!"

A couple minutes later, Giovanni picked up his desk phone with one hand while still typing with the other, "Yes?...WHAT?!"

The couple of maintenance crew members who were busy cleaning up and repairing his office paused but quickly went back to their work even as they tried to listen in.

Standing, Giovanni paced back and forth behind his desk, "Two of them? How?...I assume the emergency protocols are in place...yes of course...no you fool! Just take care of it!" he slammed down his phone receiver, "What in the world is going on?"

Pikachu and Inkay dashed through the metal ducts, rounding corners as fast as possible and following Meowth's directions.

 _"It's right ahead!"_ cried Pikachu happily.

Suddenly, Rotom appeared out of a side tunnel, stopping right in their path and they skidded to a halt. The small Pokemon was obviously injured and more furious than ever.

 _"You can't escape from me!"_ he snarled before unleashing a Shock Wave attack.

Inkay zipped in front of Pikachu and used his Light Screen to block and diffuse the attack. Bits of electricity pinged and danced around them, echoing loudly in the metal tubing.

Rotom narrowed hie eyes and addressed Inkay, _"I don't know why you're here, and I don't care. Stop interfering. I have orders to bring the rat back alive...I have no such orders for you."_

 _"Inkay..." said Pikachu quietly, "I appreciate you helping me, but this guy is seriously bad news. I wouldn't blame you at all if you wanted to leave, especially considering our, um, history."_

 _Turning slightly to look at him while still keeping an eye on Rotom, Inkay replied warmly, "Thanks Pikachu, but I'm staying! My trainer told me to do whatever I can to help you, and I'm not letting him, or you, down! As far as our history goes, well, we've both just been doing what we had to, right? I've got no hard feelings!"_

Grinning, Pikachu nodded _, "Then let's do this!"_

 _"Enough!"_ Rotom cried, re-building his energy and charging them.

Again, Inkay used Light Screen to try and stop him. Rotom crashed full-force into it, building his attack and struggling to break through.

Pikachu started to charge up a Thunderbolt but Inkay called to him, _"GO! Hurry while you can!"_

Feeling a stab of guilt but realizing this may well be his only clear shot, Pikachu darted around them and sprinted to the vent opening he needed. He could hear the nervous chatter in the room even before seeing inside. Not wasting any time, and knowing he had none to anyway, he smashed open the grate and dashed inside. Several nearby lab techs and grunts tried to grab him, but he quickly zapped them into submission and they fell twitching and groaning to the concrete floor. The few others remaining stood nervously by after seeing what had happened to their comrades, and after a moment simply scrambled for the door. Grinning proudly, Pikachu turned his attention to the enormous machine in front of him. A loud warning beep was coming from it, the pitch high enough to hurt his ears a bit and make him realize how precious little time they had.

 _"Time to get this over with!"_ he said aloud, planting his feet and building a Thunderbolt attack.

Before he could unleash it, he was abruptly struck from behind and sent flying several feet. Quickly recovering, he whirled to face his attacker-and saw Rotom. He was panting, clearly running our of energy but just as angry.

 _"This stops now!"_ he growled.

Pikachu looked behind him, _"Where's Inkay?!"_

Rotom's only answer was a cold sneer, and Pikachu felt his heart skip a beat-if Inkay got killed because of him, he wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to forgive himself.

Shaking his head and willing himself to focus, Pikachu dashed away to the other side of the machine, expecting Rotom to be hot on his tail. When after a moment he realized the Pokemon wasn't there, he warily paused and tried to find him. A sudden loud, grinding, wailing noise to his left startled him and he leapt back, looking up to see the generator surrounded by an eerie blue-white halo. In horror, he realized where his adversary had gone.

Rotom's voice, now magnified, came from the huge machine, _"You may be able to best me when we're the same size, but let's see how strong you are now!"_

Taking control of the generator, Rotom tore cables loose from the walls, sending showers of sparks cascading to the floor. The people Pikachu had stunned, who had just recovered enough to get to their feet, upon seeing this fled from the room as their companions had done. Rotom made the loose cables whip around like so many arms, and Pikachu backed up, honestly terrified and wondering how in the world he was going to win this one...

Still sitting in the lounge area, several more smaller groups had ran past the trio before a higher-ranking agent paused to glare at them, "Didn't you idiots hear the announcement?!"

"What announcement?" asked James, feigning ignorance, while in truth they had all heard it loud and clear.

Slapping his forehead, the agent snapped, "For fuck's sake don't you ever pay attention-?! _Arceus_ , I hate you guys. The one where every available on this floor is supposed to head to the main generator room to help out?! Get moving!" and he ran off.

They all looked at each other nervously. This was the trickiest, most dangerous part of the plan and even though everything was in place, the slightest wrong move meant it was all over.

Standing, Jessie said loudly, "Well, you heard him. Let's go team!"

Playing along, Meowth added, "De only ting I heard was him insultin' us!"

As they jogged along the corridor, boots clacking on the tile floor, James asked, "How's Pikachu doing?Did Inkay ever find him? Are they okay? It seems he's already caused quite a pandemonium."

"Lemme see," Meowth tapped the communicator, "Hey Pikachu! Is Inkay dere? How goes de plan?"

A steel cable whistled through the air, nearly slicing Pikachu in two as he rolled out of the way and ran under a table to hide.

Panting, he grumpily replied, _"Well let's see-not so good! Rotom possessed the generator and is currently trying to kill me. Yeah, I'm just peachy!"_

"...And Inkay..?"

Pikachu winced, _"I honestly don't know."_

Meowth glanced at James as they ran and shook his head, then went back to Pikachu, "Hang in there! We're working on our part here!"

Nodding, Pikachu ran out from his hiding place and tried to charge a Thunderbolt, only to have his effort snuffed by another cable whipping in his direction.

 _'This is hopeless!'_ he thought to himself, _'I can't focus long enough to build up an attack! What am I going to do!?'_

Rotom loomed over him, brandishing the multitude of dislodged cables and mocking him. His mind raced to come up with a solution-just as another Psybeam shot across the room and hit the Rotom-possessed generator.

Pikachu looked up to see Inkay shakily float out of the broken vent cover and enter the room.

 _"Are you okay?!"_ Pikachu called.

Inkay was clearly injured, blood crusted by his mouth and electric burns across his small body, but he confidently answered, _"Okay and ready for action!"_

Before either of them could make another move, a cable whipped around and grabbed the squid Pokemon, squeezing him tightly. Inkay shrieked in pain and Pikachu tried to reach him, only to be swatted away.

Rotom laughed at them, _"Try and stop em! I dare you!"_

Inkay glanced at Pikachu, gasping for air and obviously becoming exhausted. He remembered how James had looked at him, a barely-disguised, terrified look in his green eyes. He also remembered how Jessie and Meowth both appeared to be putting up a brave front despite the fear on their own faces. He couldn't let them, his friends, down. Knowing how much they was counting on him gave him a final, desperate burst of strength. Using that to his advantage he concentrated-and unleashed a Psychic attack, paralyzing Rotom and the machine he controlled. A purple-black aura surrounded them, and struggle as he might, Rotom could not break free.

 _"Pikachu!"_ yelled Inkay, _"Get him!"_

Shaking his head, Pikachu protested, _"Wh-what about you?!"_

Swallowing hard, Inkay snapped, _"Don't worry about me! This is your only shot! I can't hold him for long! DO IT!"_

Even as he spoke, Rotom was slowly pulling himself free of Inkay's control, moving as if in slow motion, and Pikachu knew he was right.

 _"Forgive me!"_ he cried, using what was left of his electricity reserves to swiftly unleash the strongest Thunder attack he could manage.

The waves of blindingly-bright energy shot across the room, striking the generator and lighting it up as Rotom shrieked in rage and protest. A few more moments of this assault and Rotom unbound himself from the machine, zipping into the nearest electric socket and making his escape. Cables snapped off and chunks of metal fell to the ground. Pikachu ducked a piece of steel plating whizzed past his head, nearly clipping his ears. Looking up, he saw the cable gripping Inkay go slack and the small Pokemon tumbling limply toward the concrete floor. Darting forward, he leapt and fumbled to catch him, succeeding but taking them both into a hard, rolling landing on the cold ground.

Shaking his head, Pikachu stood and patted Inkay with a weary cry, _"Hey! Speak to me!"_

When he got no response, his heart sank, torn with guilt; his new-found friend was badly burned and battered, his injuries severe enough to require medical attention as soon as possible.

Again trying to rouse him, Pikachu shook him, _"Please! Wake up!"_

Suddenly, the harsh fluorescent bulbs overhead flickered and went out altogether, plunging them into near-darkness. Red emergency lights quickly replaced them, bathing the room in an eerie glow and Pikachu could swear he felt the floor vibrate as he heard an alarm begin to ring.

 _"This is bad..." he bemoaned._

In the main generator room, several groups of scientists and technicians were desperately scrambling to bring the mammoth machine into a safe shut-down, punching in code and calling out readings to one another.

One of them whipped around and yelled, "The levels are too high! It's too late!"

Another jabbed a finger at him, "Keep working on it! We have to try and-"

The sound of screeching alarms and the boom of an over-loaded control panel interrupted him as several techs were blown back by the force of the explosion. The barely-controlled manner of the room erupted into a state of disorder and chaos as the injured were dragged away and one of the head scientists shook his head and ran to a glass-covered box on the wall.

Smashing it open, he slammed a palm over the bright-red button. A pulsing, wailing alarm started up, and he grabbed the emergency phone next to it, punching in an over-ride code.

His own superior jogged over, "You don't have the authority for this! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Glaring back at him, the scientist snapped, "Saving our lives!"


	15. Gains and Losses

Jessie, James and Meowth were nearly to the doors to the lower levels when the alarms went off. The lights began to blink on and off randomly, creating a strobe-like effect and they distinctly felt a rumble through the floor and walls, the vibration creating an eerie, animal-like noise and both humans felt the hair stand on the back of their necks. Seconds later, the doors in front of them crashed open, several dozen grunts, scientists, and other personnel rushing back toward the upper floors, tripping over one another and yelling in panic. The trio looked at each other, a shared thought passing between them, 'What have we done?!'

The intercom system crackled on, the voice coming through a metallic echo, "Attention everyone! This is an emergency! This is not a drill! Evacuation Order One is in effect, I repeat Evacuation Order One is in effect! Everyone must leave the base at once! Again this is not-"

He was cut off when the speaker blew out, sending a shower of sparks spraying everywhere.

Jessie and Meowth made eye contact, and the cat didn't need to do much acting to begin the next phase of their plan.

"Aaaaah!" he screamed, running in circles, "We're gonna die! Run for yer lives!"

He took off, darting through the still-swinging doors and running down the hall, his human partners giving chase and calling for him to come back. Rounding a corner, they were nearly bowled over by another group of people. Shoving and kicking them aside, the duo tried to continue but were halted by a familiar pair of voices yelling at them to wait.

"What the hell are you _doing?!_ " Cassidy wondered, pausing to catch her breath.

Butch pointed back up the hall, "You're going the wrong way, idiots!"

Jessie shook her head, "Meowth panicked and ran back toward the labs!"

"We have to go find him!" added James, trying to turn, but Butch grabbed his collar.

"You're gonna get yourselves killed! Forget about that cat!" the teal-haired man protested.

Slapping his hand away, James snapped, "Never!"

"Meowth is our friend, and there's no way we're abandoning him!" Jessie said.

The rumbling in the floor suddenly grew stronger, quickly followed by a loud crack from overhead, the group leaping out of the way with a startled shriek as a large chunk of ceiling dislodged and came crashing down.

Cassidy pointed at it, "The next one will fall right on your stupid heads!"

"That's a risk we're willing to take," huffed Jessie, then crossed her arms, "And what do you care if we get killed, anyway?"

Throwing her arms in the air, Cassidy said in exasperation, "Fine! Do what you want! Butch, let's get out of here before we get squashed ourselves."

They started to turn away but paused as Butch touched Cassidy's arm in a 'hold-on' gesture.

"Last chance you guys!" he said.

Jessie and James shook their heads, both saying, "We're staying!"

Cassidy's shoulders sank a little, and she turned her head to look Jessie straight in the eyes, "For the record my dear Jess, I really _don't_ care if you morons get killed. None the less," she grinned slyly, her eyes softening just the slightest, "I have to admit, I'm going to miss ruffling your feathers."

Jessie returned the smile, at that moment the two women coming to the closest equivalent of a truce they could, "Good riddance to you too, Cassidy."

With that they again turned and ran up the hall, passing through the doors and out of sight.

Jessie looked at James, "We have to hurry-this place is breaking up faster than we thought!" She took off at a good clip.

Nodding in agreement, glancing nervously at the hair-line cracks forming on the walls, James swiftly tried to catch up to her, "I hope Meowth was able to get to the store-room without-"

A crunching, grinding noise interrupted him as another ragged slab of the ceiling came loose and plummeted to the floor-right towards Jessie.

It was strange; James had always heard about time seeming to slow down in situations like this, but had never experienced such a phenomenon until this moment. He lunged forward as swiftly as he could, though he felt like he was wading through water, his limbs refusing to move as quickly as he wished, everything around him seeming to move in some sort of strange slow-motion. Though there was merely a few feet between them, the distance seemed to stretch into miles as he reached out, screaming her name as she too reached back for him, scrambling to get out of the way, her eyes full of terror and sobbing for help. Their hands nearly connected-but he was just a moment too late, a few steps too far back to reach her and the large mass of plaster and stone slammed down right on top of her...

Pikachu looked up at the walls and noticed the cracks beginning to form, spider-web patterns snaking across the cheaply painted plaster and the rumbling in the floor getting worse. He gulped, if they didn't get out of there soon, they were both dead.

Again, he shook Inkay, _"Please! I can't just leave you-"_

Coughing, Inkay opened his eyes, _"H-hello!"_

Plopping down on his rear, Pikachu sighed, _"Oh thank Arceus! For a minute there I thought for sure you were..."_

Inkay chuckled weakly, _"Oh c'mon! I've been zapped by you so many times I'm practically immune to it by now!"_

As he spoke, a piece of the ceiling dislodged and crumbled to the floor across the room, the impact spraying bits of drywall and dust in a cloud around them.

Pikachu's fur puffed out in surprise ans he yelped, _"Good! Good, okay! Can you move on your own!? We have got to get out of here!"_

Groaning, Inkay pushed himself upright and shakily floated into the air, _"Yeah, I think I've got it-"_ weaving, he fell back to the floor with a helpless sigh, _"On second thought..."_

Thinking quickly, Pikachu pushed his face underneath Inkay, scooping him up onto his back, _"Can you hold on to me?!"_

 _"I-I think so!"_ Inkay said, gripping him as firmly as he could with his tentacles.

Tensing his muscles, Pikachu declared, _"Then hold on tight! Here we go!"_

Unleashing another Agility, the mouse Pokemon darted back into the vent system just as several more pieces of wall and ceiling fell in chunks to the floor.

 _"Meowth! Come in! We did it!"_ he gasped into the communicator.

When he got only a static-laced crackle in return, he turned his focus to dodging the pieces of the vents that were beginning to buckle under the pressure of the collapsing walls and getting to the exit tunnels Meowth had shown him on the map. Despite their differences, Inkay had helped him tremendously and he knew without his bravery, he more than likely would have been killed by Rotom. As such he refused to let Inkay succumb to his injuries, nor had he gone through everything he had just to die inside these cold metal walls...

James felt his knees give out and he collapsed to the floor, not noticing the tiny, strangled whimpers coming from his own mouth as he stared at the pile of rubble under which everything he loved in the world was trapped, crushed, and gone. He felt like he was going to vomit and his brain kept screaming at him that it was all his fault; if only he had been a little faster, a little closer, a little stronger...

The hall around him was dangerously close to crumbling completely, but he barely noticed and in truth, didn't even care. He knew Meowth would and could get out safely, and at this point, that was the only thing that mattered to him.

Blinded by tears and despair and somewhere in the back of his mind knowing it was pointless, he none the less ripped viciously at the mass in front of him, tearing his gloves and fingers in the process, raggedly wailing her name over and over again. Suddenly, the mound shifted slightly, a bubble-like movement forming at one side. It grew, and James swore he saw light shining troguh the cracks between pieces of stone.

Growing even bigger, the rubble slid aside-to reveal Wobbuffet using his Mirror Coat. Jessie was contained within the protective bubble it formed, crouching and covering her head with her arms. Seeing his move had done it's job, Wobbuffet canceled it and turned to his trainer with a happy, hearty cry.

Both humans gaped in disbelief for a moment before falling on him, laughing, sobbing happily, hugging Wobbuffet and each other.

Jessie kissed the Pokemon on the head, "You're the best blob a girl could ever ask for!" to which Wobbuffet blushed.

Grabbing her face in his hands, James pressed his lips to hers hard, and in between kisses and hiccups of crying, begged forgiveness, "I'm so sorry! I let you, wait, both of you, down! I should have been closer, I should have-"

"Pull yourself together!" Jessie commanded, prying him off and getting to her feet, "You can grovel later, but for now we need to finish this and get the hell out of here!"

Hastily wiping his sleeve across his face James got up as well, drawing a breath and standing tall, "You're right. Meowth should be just a few rooms away from here."

Quickly recalling Wobbuffet, again thanking him and promising to get him whatever goodies he wanted later, Jessie again took off running with James right by her side, the both of them dodging the bits of wall or ceiling dropping from everywhere.

As they ran he grabbed her hand and took the lead slightly, for a moment earning himself a glare but having it quickly replaced by a slight blush and a grin as they reached their destination...

Running through the tunnels at full speed, Inkay holding on as best he could, Pikachu rounded the corner to what he remembered as being an exit tunnel- and skidded to a halt. There were chunks of the surrounding stone piercing it's sides, exposed wires and ragged spears of metal forming a savage-looking tunnel through which there was little hope of escape.

 _"Well, this just keeps getting better and better!"_ he lamented.

Lifting his head, Inkay said, _"I have just enough energy to help..."_

 _"Don't strain yourself too much!"_

Rising, Inkay's eyes glowed again, and the pieces of metal folded aside, clearing a path through which, at the end, Pikachu could see a shimmering light-the outside. Weakly, Inkay whimpered and flopped back onto Pikachu's back, nearly sliding off as he passed out from expending the last of his strength. Not wasting any time, especially considering the shrieking, sickening crunch of the steel walls collapsing around them, in desperation Pikachu bit down on Inkay's tentacle so as not to lose him and barreled ahead as fast as his small legs could carry them, the literal light at the end of the tunnel growing closer and smashed through the vent cover, leaping out-and launching them straight out into the air several stories above the forest floor, a cloud of smoke and debris shooting out behind them.

Flailing in terror, Pikachu screamed, _"Inkay! Wake up! We need your Psychic ability we're gonna faaalllll-!"_

They tumbled head-over-tail through the open air, and Pikachu shut his eyes, bracing himself for a painful impact...

 _"This is taking way too long! I can't just sit here anymore!" Ash suddenly said, getting to his feet, "I have to see what's going on!"_

 _Clemont approached him, "We can't get any closer, remember?!"_

 _"If those security cameras see you-assuming they were telling the truth in the first place about them being there-you'll get caught before you can do anything!" added Serena._

 _Laying on her belly on a boulder kicking her feet and peering through the binoculars she had borrowed from Ash, Bonnie declared, "Oooh, they're there. I'm trying to see how many I can spot from here!"_

 _Ash clenched a fist in frustration, "I know guys, I know! But I'm starting to get really worried...there's gotta be some way to...ah! I know!" he snatched a Pokeball from his belt and tossed it sky-ward, "Talonflame! I choose you!_

 _The large bird appeared, flaring his wings, small sparks of flame spraying from them as he turned to his trainer._

 _Ash gestured toward the complex, "I need you to be on the lookout for Pikachu. He's down there on_ a _n important and dangerous mission. We can't get any closer, but you can! Just circle around, keep on eye on things, and if you spot him, bring him back here. I'm counting on you, and so is Pikachu."_

 _Talonflame nodded crisply before rising higher into the air, drifting toward the valley floor._


	16. Into the Dark

A streak of red and gray shot over them, snatching them up in large talons before swooping back into the azure sky.

Startled, Pikachu opened his eyes and looked up to see Talonflame grinning at him, "You alright there pal? Sorry I didn't catch you sooner."

"Talonflame! Boy am I glad to see you!" laughed Pikachu with relief.

"Likewise!" replied the fire-bird as he banked sharply toward the wooded bluff where their friends anxiously awaited.

As they flew away, Pikachu craned his neck to look back toward the base and saw the middle portion of the main building collapsed, imploded in a ragged crater from the force of the explosions stories down. Smoke arose from it, and he saw many agents still fleeing or waiting outside, helping their fellows to get away or tending to the wounded. He found himself wondering if Jessie, James and Meowth had actually made it out...

Ash spotted them first, excitedly pointing and waving his arms. Talonflame came in for a smooth landing, and Ash was already there and waiting, laughing with relief to see his friends okay.

He reached down to grab Pikachu and scoop him up in a hug, examining the various smears of dirt and small cuts he had accumulated, "Oh Pikachu! I was so worried about you! Are you-"

Pikachu pushed away and leapt back to the ground as now the rest of their friends made it over to them. When Ash looked at him with confusion, Pikachu went to Inkay, turning his head back and forth as he desperately tried to communicate the problem.

"Piii! Piiika-pi, pika chuuu!" _"I'm fine! He's not, he needs help right now!"_

Clemont stooped and after a brief visual inspection decided, "This poor Pokemon needs medical assistance, stat!"

Serena quickly opened her bag and grabbed a healing potion, "Will this do?"

Taking it, Clemont nodded, "This will certainly help, but we need to get him to the nearest Pokemon Center as soon as possible!"

Tilting her head, Bonnie wondered aloud, "Why is there an Inkay with you Pikachu? Did you rescue him from that nasty place?"

Clemont gingerly re-positioned the small Pokemon's tentacles to better apply the rest of the potion when he abruptly realized and said with a small gasp, "This is-James's inkay! I've seen him enough times I can tell!"

Ash stood and looked back toward the base, where the plumes of smoke were still drifting into the air, "...Where are those guys?'

A peal of laughter from behind caused them to startle and whip around-to find the aforementioned group standing in a dramatic pose, their clothes smeared with dirt and heaven-only-knew what else, not that this seemed to dampen their enthusiasm any.

"Thought you had gotten rid of us?" asked Jessie.

"It's gonna take more n' dis!" smirked Meowth.

Flipping his hair, droplets of water flying off, James chuckled, "Did you forget who we are?!"

Ash sighed, smiling with a mixture of relief and resignation, "I don't think that's possible, you guys."

"Hey Pikachu," said Jessie directly to the small Pokemon with a grin, "That was some impressive work you two did down there! I would expect nothing less."

"Speaking of...where's Inkay?" James asked worriedly.

Having treated him as best he could, Clemont stood and turned, holding Inkay gently, "He's right here..."

James yelped in horror and he rushed forward to see his friend, "Inkay! Hey! Are you alright?! Speak to me little buddy!"

Inkay squeaked happily but weakly at his trainer. Trying to rise and fly over to him, he nearly fell and Clemont quickly caught him.

Clemont gingerly handed him over and as James tearfully cradled the small Pokemon against himself explained, "He's hurt pretty bad. We gave him a good dose of medicine but he needs a Pokemon Center."

Spinning around, James called as he ran off, "Well, then let's go!"

Glancing over her shoulder, Jessie said as she too ran after him, "Good idea-we need to get out of here before they start investigating the area anyway! Come on kiddos!"

The group quickly found themselves back at the trio's balloon, which had been disguised with a more plain, blue-and-white striped cloth covering the usual Meowth design. Hopping in and rising into the air, they set a course for the nearest town, and it was then Bonnie asked the question they had all been wondering.

"Well you three...how'd you escape then?" she asked, crossing her arms and tapping her foot.

Clearing their throats, Jessie began, "It's a harrowing, hair-raising tale..."

 _"Where are dose guys?!" cried Meowth as he awaited his human partners at their rendezvous point._

 _He was in a small storeroom after having planted the 'evidence' they needed to cement their permanent retirement plan. Pacing in circles around the water and sewer-system access hatch, he nervously kept an eye on the cracks on the walls and rumbling in the floor._

 _"If dose idiots don't get here soon I'm gonna-"_

 _Suddenly the door flew open, Jessie and James skidding inside, slamming it shut behind them and yelling over each other._

 _"We know we know-!"_

 _"We'll explain later!"_

 _"Hurry up we gotta go!"_

 _Flinging open the access door, his fur bristling from fear and panic, Meowth spat, " Sometimes I dunno why I hang around wit you idiots!"_

 _They clambered down a short steel ladder and dropped into a damp, dark tunnel, finding themselves on a walkway flanking the small underground stream that ferried away the waste-water from the base. Although there were some lights along the walls, they were dim and flickered frequently. The stench of mildew was nearly enough to make one sick, and Jessie tore off a glove to hold over her face as a filter, willing herself not to vomit. Disgusted by the constant drips of water along the ground getting his paws wet, Meowth leapt onto James' shoulder as he pulled out a flashlight with one hand, the other holding Jessie's, leading their group as they swiftly made their way down the tunnel._

 _Tapping the communicator, Meowth said, "Come in Pikachu! Can ya hear me? Where are ya?"_

 _The only reply he got was static, and after messing with it for a minute, he came to a sudden, horrifying realization, "Oh no!"_

 _"What's wrong?" asked James._

 _Slapping his forehead, Meowth lamented, "Dese tings can take a lot, but apparently not repeated Thunderbolt attacks!"_

 _Jessie gave a muffled but distinctly annoyed comment, "Well, that's just great! I hope you at least gave that rat good directions so he can get out on his own..."_

 _They dashed along as quickly as possible, avoiding the worst of the muck and water, all the while hearing and feeling the rumbling above them as the base continued to collapse._

 _"Are you certain you know the way out?" wondered Jessie after a minute._

 _"Of course I do!" huffed Meowth, "Ya tink I jus' led us in here blind?! I memorized te quickest and best route to da outside!"_

 _James asked him, "Well, how much farther is it? Seems like we've been..."_

 _He paused, feeling the vibration in the floor grow considerably stronger, then cease altogether. Jessie started to comment on how maybe it was finally over when it abruptly returned, so strong that they nearly fell over, accompanied by a loud booming noise from behind them and the lights on the walls blinking out completely for a few moments before coming back, albeit even weaker. James whirled and aimed the flashlight in the direction the noise had come from and let out a panicked yelp._

 _"RUN!" he cried, practically dragging Jessie as he took off._

 _She yanked her hand from his so as not to lose her balance, panicked and running as fast as possible in the near-darkness, "What is it?!"_

 _Dodging a pipe James yelled, "Just run!"_

 _Clinging to James' head, Meowth glanced behind them, and in the sporadic sweeps of their flashlight and the wall-lights dim flicker Meowth could make out the wall of dirt and debris rushing their way._

 _Fur bristling he screeched, "Gaaah! Faster, Jimmy! Dere's a side tunnel just ahead! See it?!"_

 _"Got it!" he called, again snatching Jessie by the hand as they got to it and yanking her inside, pulling her to a crouch against the wall and shielding her body with his own as the tsunami of debris roared past their hiding spot, dropping and losing the flashlight in the process. They all screamed with terror as the world around them shook and seemed to crumble, the wall-lights exploding one by one as they were hit, and for a moment they all wondered if this was truly the end at last. Jessie grabbed James' face and kissed him desperately, afraid this may be the last time she'd have the chance. Meowth clung to his only friends, memories of their time together flashing through his mind. It seemed like forever until it finally ceased and all was quiet save for the occasional echo of small stones dropping to the floor in the total darkness._

 _Lifting her head, Jessie asked, "Everyone alright?!"_

 _She heard and felt Meowth next to her, "I'm okay!"_

 _"Here!" James coughed, reaching blindly and finding her shoulder, "Are you-you two-okay?!"_

 _Jessie grinned, though of course no one saw, "I'm fine, and if this kid is anything like us, they're fine too!"_

 _"Good point," James chuckled as he carefully got to his feet, "Now then, how do we get out of here? Meowth?"_

 _The feline grumbled crossly, "I uh..hadn't counted on dis...can we get back inta de main tunnel?"_

 _James groped for their flashlight, and unable to find it, snarled in frustration, "For the love of-?! Where IS it?"_

 _Clicking her fingers as she realized she was carrying the solution, Jessie released Gourgeist, "Gourgeist! We need your light!"_

 _The large Pokemon chirped proudly and ignited her inner light-creating ability, throwing shadows all around but affording them the ability to see clearly._

 _It was trough this James quickly found their flashlight-crushed and useless._

 _With a groan he said, "Looks like we'll be relying on you, Gourgeist."_

 _She nodded, brightening the lights on her body and further illuminating their surroundings. Grimly, they noted the way back to main tunnel was blocked by a pile of rubble._

 _"Please tell me we can get back in there." groaned Jessie._

 _Meowth's shoulders drooped, "It don't look so good..."_

 _Determined to get them back on course, James grabbed some loose stones and tore them away, finally giving up as the pain from his already-wounded hands became too much. He stepped back and hissed in a breath as Jessie stood herself, stepping forward and taking his hands in her own, noticing for the first time his injuries._

 _"What did you do?!" she sighed._

 _Blushing, he looked away and muttered, "When I thought you got crushed by that chunk of ceiling...I kind of lost it and well, tried to get you out...and this happened."_

 _Shaking her head, she quickly kissed his hands and said in exasperation, "Idiot...what am I going to do with you? When we get out of here, I'll fix them up like you took care of my arm a while back."_

 _Glancing behind them and noting how the side tunnel they were in stretched further into the darkness, Meowth suggested, "We can go dis way."_

 _"We might as well. This tunnel leads to the outside too, right?" Jessie grumbled as she rubbed her forehead, looking back and forth from the barred but familiar way to the dark yet open unknown, "Gourgeist, lead the way!"_


	17. All's Well?

_They trudged down the damp stone tunnel, staying close to Gourgeist and her comforting circle of light. A few minutes passed before Jessie felt the panic in her chest begin to rise-how far did these tunnels go? Was there away out from here? How long were they going to be trapped down here?_

 _Finally she asked shortly, "You did memorize more than one way out of here, right Meowth?"_

 _"Ehh..." the feline replied nervously, "I didn't tink I'd need ta..."_

 _Jessie stopped in her tracks, "You're telling me we're actually lost?! When you said we could go this way I thought you knew it was a way out!"_

 _"I assume it does but I don't know!" Meowth protested, "And you're da one who gave da go-ahead!"_

 _"Why didn't you bring the map with you?!"_

 _"Yeah, like dat wouldn'ta looked suspicious or nothin'!"_

 _With an irritated sigh, James turned to them, "You two can fight over this later! Right now we need to focus and find a route out of this place! Now come on!"_

 _Frustrated, terrified of being trapped and starting to feel claustrophobic Jessie turned on him, "Alright then! What's the plan, oh brave leader?! And what's been with you here this past little while?"_

 _"What's that supposed to mean?"_

 _Gesturing with annoyance she said, "Taking the lead? Using yourself to try and protect me? Trying to dig our way out when your hands are already injured? Since when did you finally decide to start acting like a man?!"_

 _James felt like she had punched him in the gut. Wasn't what he had been doing a good thing? Quickly however, he realized what this was._

 _"Jessie," he said calmly as possible, "I know you're scared and irritated. But don't take cheap shots at me because of it!"_

 _"Well who else am I going to yell at?!" she glowered back at him, finally sighing and dropping her shoulders as she realized that once again, he had hit the nail on the head, "Fine. Point taken. But can we please get the hell out of here?" she hugged herself, "It's starting to really creep me out."_

 _Stepping over to her, he gave her a quick hug before saying, "We will. And to answer your question, I just almost lost you...both of you, and I felt like maybe...maybe it was time to at least give it a try?"_

 _Meowth pricked his ears, turning in the direction from which he heard a slight squeaking. It became louder, loud enough now for the humans to hear it as well._

 _"Wha-what's that?!" Jessie stammered, "Gourgeist! Shine your light toward that sound!"_

 _A bright beam emanated from the pumpkin Pokemon, shining towards an area of the ceiling previously shrouded in inky darkness-to reveal a large colony of Zubat hanging there, all staring at them. The trio yelped and started to back away when several Zubat took to the air, circling them and screeching angrily. Taking a couple more steps back, James felt his leg bump into something soft and moving. Jerking himself away, he looked down to see a hoard of Rattata forming a half-circle behind them. The small Pokemon joined the Zubat's in their vocal displeasure of their presence._

 _Meowth clung to Jessie's leg, "Dere sayin' dere tired of Rockets comin' down here and takin' dere friends and dat dere not puttin' up wit it anymore!"_

 _"This must be where they keep getting Zubat's and Rattata's for new recruits..." Jessie thought aloud, then screamed when a Zubat swooped so close she could feel the breeze off it's wings._

 _James raised his hands, "We-we're not here to hurt you or take any of you away! We promise!"_

 _Pointing behind them, Meowth added, "Youse been hearin' all de noise right? Well dat was us! We destroyed dere base, so now dey can't hurt youse anymore!"_

 _One Rattata bounded closer, chattering loudly and Meowth nodded before explaining, "Good question. Dere still wearin' de uniforms 'cause we had to trick 'em inta believin' we was still on dere side."_

 _"Good job Meowth! Keep it up!" said Jessie, again shrieking as another Zubat zipped by, nearly clipping her head and she grabbed James in a hug._

 _The same Rattata continued to glare at them suspiciously before addressing the Zubat, who after a moment shook their heads. Turning to his fellows, Rattata squeaked sharply, and the rest of them started up an almost chant-like racket._

 _Panicking, Meowth cried, "Wait fellas! C'mon! We're tellin' de truth!"_

 _"What's the matter?!" James asked nervously as he held Jessie closely._

 _"Dey don't believe us!" said Meowth with a gulp, "And-and dat dey don't have a lotta food down here and we look mighty tasty!"_

 _In horror, suddenly sick from the very notion of being gnawed to death by a bunch of lousy Rattata and Zubat, fearing for all their lives, Jessie found her courage and broke away, swinging an arm around, "If that's how it's going to be-Gourgeist! Show these lowly rats and rats-with-wings what happens when you corner a Rocket!"_

 _Her whole body now glowing, Gourgeist geared herself for battle. The entire group of Zubat and Rattata now circled them, and the stand-off was coming to a head-when a single Zubat fluttered in from further down the tunnel, screeching with a decidedly happier tone._

 _His hopes rising with what he had just heard, Meowth said, "Dat Zubat says he was just outside and dat de base is destroyed! The Rockets are running for their lives and dat we're safe now!"_

 _The reveal of this news changed the tone of the room entirely. The wild Pokemon relaxed, and so did Gourgeist, having sensed the threat of attack was over. One Zubat and the same Rattata stepped, or fluttered, forward toward the trio as they bowed their heads and spoke in their own way._

 _Translating, Meowth said, "Dey say dat dere sorry. But dat you can't blame 'em."_

 _"Not at all. We understand." said James reassuringly, a touch of nervousness still in his voice._

 _"Dey also ask how dey can make it up to us, to de ones who helped free dem from the nightmare of always having to worry about being caught 'n used for Team Rocket's schemes."_

 _Spreading her hands, Jessie stepped forward, addressing them directly, "Can you help us? Is there a way out of here?"_

 _Several Zubat, including the one who had delivered the great news, nodded and squeaked happily._

 _Meowth's mood brightened further, "Dey say dey'll be happy to lead us to the exit!"_

 _Cheering, the two humans grabbed each other in a celebratory hug before following the small group of Pokemon leading the way. Jessie recalled Gourgeist and slipped her hand into James', pulling him slightly closer as the light of the outside soon became clear..._

Jessie finished their story just as the balloon touched down near a Pokemon Center. Wasting no time, James leapt out and bolted for the entrance, nearly slamming into the automatic glass doors in his haste to get inside. Ash and Clemont were the next to crawl out, both offering Jessie and Bonnie a hand, the latter accepting but Jessie snorting haughtily and smoothly hopping out on her own, scooping up Meowth as she did so. By the time they themselves got inside, James had already handed Inkay off to the nurse in charge and was sitting fretfully on a bench, staring at the floor and drumming his hands together. It being s small Pokemon Center in an equally small town, they were currently the only ones there. James looked up at them and smiled halfheartedly.

"Is Inkay going to okay?" asked Jessie.

Nodding, James replied, "Yeah. He 's in bad shape, but he'll recover," he glanced at their new-found allies, "The potion you guys gave him helped a lot...thank you."

Serena smiled and clasped her hands in front her while Clemont said, "No problem!"

Walking up to the counter, Jessie peered around for a minute before Meowth questioned what she was looking for.

"A first aid kit," she responded, "There must be one around here somewhere...oh for heaven's sake; that's it!"

She stomped around behind the counter, stooping to rummage around the built-in shelves before finally finding what she sought and taking it back with her to sit beside James. As she opened it and began picking out supplies, James asked why she hadn't just grabbed the one from their balloon.

Soaking a wad of cotton with disinfectant, she sniffed, "This was closer, and besides, this is a medical establishment. They should be happy to help, Pokemon or human!"

Ash and his friends went to sit a short ways off to discuss the best way to get to their next destination; this little adventure had sent them on quite the detour, so some planning was needed to secure the best possible route. Meowth had joined them, sharing a couple short-cuts he had found studying maps during the long hours they spent in their balloon.

As she finished getting his wounds cleaned and bandaged, Jessie said cheerfully, "There! Now as long you promise not to be a big cry-baby I'll make sure that-"

He quickly leaned in and kissed her before breaking away to say, "Thanks for patching me up."

"Careful, my dear James,"she grinned coyly, "This kind of behavior is how we got into this mess in the first place!"

He leaned in again slightly closer, dropping his voice to a sultry purr, "If I remember correctly, it was you who started it-pretty much every time, in fact."

"How dare you!"

"I love you too!"

They giggled together before hearing a loud "Er-hem..." and turning to see that they suddenly had an audience.

A few awkward moments of silence followed before Ash spoke up, "So um...what are you guys planning on doing now?"

The trio looked at each other before Jessie shrugged and replied, "Well, now that we're free agents, so to speak," she stood and pointed skyward, "The sky's truly the limit!"

Back at the smoking, ruined hulk of his headquarters, Giovanni sulked and seethed with rage, surveying the damage from his helicopter as the pilot was preparing for take-off and went over necessary, if cringe-worthy, details with his executives sitting around him. Everyone was milling around outside, either helping their wounded fellow agents or standing around in groups as the chaos settled and they awaited further direction.

The one executive cleared her throat and leafed through several sheets of paper, "...And that's the total damage to property and equipment."

"As for loss of personnel," another cautiously ventured as he looked at his clipboard, "Shockingly, there were no lives lost. Many are hurt, yes, but no one was killed. I credit our organized-"

He paused as the head agent on the recovery, and if necessary body removal team, spoke to them through their earpieces, "This is Rec Team Leader. We've completed our final sweep of the base. I'm afraid to report that we did end up finding the remains of three bodies in the lower levels. Two human, one Pokemon. They were badly mangled, but there was enough to identify them."

"And who were they?" the female executive asked.

The group overheard a brief rustling of paper before the agent replied, "Field Agents Jessie, James, and their Pokemon partner, Meowth."

The one executive gave a disdainful snort, "Well, that's not much of a loss."

"Why am I not surprised?" Giovanni muttered, shaking his head, "Even if they did manage to get out, after indirectly causing this disaster, I'd fire them anyway. Make a note of that," he waved a hand at his second in command, "If ever it comes to light that they did somehow survive, they are hereby fired and banned from Team Rocket, forever!"

Grinning smugly, the executive jotted down his words, "With pleasure, sir!"

Back at the Pokemon Center, the trio was excitedly discussing all the possible career choices that were now open to them, so involved in their conversation they again momentarily forgot they still had an audience.

Jessie clasped her hands together, "I can picture it now! Our very own clothing boutique!"

"Oooh! Excellent! Personally, I've always thought a pastry shop would be sublime!" added James.

"What about a combination boutique _and_ cafe?!"

"I don't know-we'd be risking getting frosting all over the fabric..."

With a little sneer Meowth said, "Yeah, not to mention youse two would be eatin' half de inventory!"

Licking her lips, Bonnie piped up, "If you open a pastry shop I'll come visit! Mm-mmm!"

The trio blinked back to the here-and-now and glanced at her and her companions. They were all looking back at them with uncertainty, unsure of what to do or say, or if they had any further part in this scheme.

Resolving to clear things up, Jessie turned to them and cleared her throat, "Twerps-um I mean, kids...I guess, no, we definitely owe you a debt of gratitude" her smile widened a bit, "Without your help and cooperation, I don't know what we would have done."

"After everything we've ever done to you and your friends, the fact that it was your idea to help us still amazes me," James warmly said to Ash, "Thank you, truly."

Ash smiled and scratched Pikachu under the chin, "Well, you're welcome, but honestly it was Pikachu here who did a lot of the work."

"Dat's true. Although, it was me dat came up wit most of de plan, so I did de mind-work!" Meowth grinned proudly, puffing out his small chest.

Rolling her eyes, Jessie grumbled, "Yes Meowth, we know, you're the brains of the outfit, blah blah..."

A cheery beep coming from the recovery room and the door opening interrupted them as the nurse stepped out, a calm yet slightly forced, almost nervous, smile on her face. Jessie's eyes narrowed; something about that expression made her uneasy. Her and Clemont made eye contact, and they could each tell the other had been thinking the same thing.

James leapt to his feet, "How's my Inkay?!"

"Oh, d-don't worry sir! Your Pokemon is just fine and-oh!" the nurse was startled by said Inkay whizzing past her and flying into James' open arms. He laughed and spun around, holding his Pokemon at arm's length, tears of joy in his eyes.

"Inkay! You're okay my friend!" he laughed, and Inkay squeaked joyfully back before before being recalled into his Pokeball for a much-deserved rest.

"And now that the team is all here, we should probably get going!" Jessie declared, glancing over her shoulder at the nurse, who had retreated back through the doors into the treatment area.

James nodded, "Indeed! But since we've had a change in career, I feel we should also have a change of outfit!"

"Of course! A splendid idea!"

Impossibly swift, seemingly in the blink of an eye, they shed their Team Rocket uniforms and had changed into less conspicuous clothes. Ash and company stood dumbfounded before Serena found herself thinking aloud.

"How...do you guys... _do that?!_ "

"Lots and lots of practice!" they replied in unison.

Meowth took a bow, "And now, widdout furtha ado, we'll be-"

Without warning, the doors burst open and a swarm of police officers stormed inside, several surrounding the group as others ran further into the center. Terrified at suddenly having guns pointed at all of them, the kids huddled together, Bonnie sobbing as Clemont held her tightly. Jessie screamed as her and James grabbed each other and Meowth pressed himself against James' leg.

"What's going on?!" Ash challenged them.

One officer ran up and waved his arms at his comrades, chastising them for threatening children, who swiftly lowered their weapons as he turned to Ash and the others, "I apologize for this, but we received a call that a Team Rocket agent was here, and we had to investigate. Did any of you see them? Are they still here or did they leave? Is there anything you can tell us?"

'That little bitch!' Jessie fumed inwardly, looking briefly at the nurse, 'That's why she was acting weird! She's the one who alerted them!'

The trio tensed as they realized the next thing that Ash or his friends said could make or break everything. The kids risked a glance at Jessie and James, both of whom silently pleaded for mercy with their eyes.

Finally, Ash simply shrugged, figuring that by not saying anything he wasn't technically lying.

Trying to further buy them some time, Jessie raised a finger and said with feigned concern, "We're pretty sure we saw a guy running away a couple minutes ago" she pointed off back down the road, "He was wearing a white and black uniform and-"

With an excited grin, the officer interrupted her, "Brilliant! Thank you!" he turned away and said to his men, "Come on! They couldn't have gotten far!"

When they had exited the building, everyone relaxed a little.

"Th-thank you for not saying anything." James whispered.

Serena replied, "You're welcome, but none the less, you guys had better make yourselves scarce before they figure it out!"

The group swiftly made their way outside and back to the balloon, with Jessie, James and Meowth trying their best to appear as nonchalant as possible as they passed the police officers that were still hanging around.

Just before boarding, Jessie said to them, "Well, I suppose this is good-bye. Thank you again, for everything. Good luck with your goals-we've got some new ones to set here. Tw-Ash, keep on trying to be a Pokemon Master. Maybe someday you'll get there."

"Th-thanks!" the young man replied, "I think?"

James said to Clemont and Bonnie, "You two take care of each other. And Clemont? You really are a remarkable kid. Keep using that brain of yours and you'll do great things!"

Bonnie hugged Clemont before laughing, "If his inventions stop blowing up he definitely will!" to which her brother muttered, "Gee thanks..."

To Serena, Jessie added, "And as for you-you'd better become Kalos Queen, for both of us. I'll be watching and cheering you on."

Serena blushed slightly but stood tall, "I-I'll certainly give it my all!"

Hopping into their balloon, the trio untied the ropes and began drifting up into the late afternoon sky, waving back at their temporary allies below. Unfortunately, Meowth had untied one too many ropes, accidentally un-doing one of the ones holding the 'cover' of blue-and-white cloth and it slipped and fell away, revealing the usual Meowth shape. A couple of the officers noticed this and frantically called to their superior, who ran over to see what the problem was. They pointed to it, reminding him about the alert out for a Meowth-shaped balloon being the transport of several known Team Rocket agents.

"Uh-oh!" yelped James as he saw the gathering officers below, "We've been found out!"

Jessie fired up their boosters and replied, "Well, let's move it!"

Moments later they were rising much faster and pulling away, much to the chagrin of the officers. They were further annoyed when the balloon's occupants began waving, laughing mockingly and calling to them.

"So sorry to leave so soon, but better luck next time!"

"Except there won't be a next time! Tootaloo, everybody!"

"Smell ya later ya bums!"

It wasn't long before the aircraft was so high and far away it shrank and vanished entirely. The police had already left, having realized there was no catching them, instead alerting the officers in the town of the approximate direction they were headed. Ash and his friends were the last to leave, watching as the balloon disappeared into the reddish-orange sky.

"Do you think they're gonna do okay?" Serena asked no one in particular.

Ash smiled and shook his head, "I have a feeling those guys will figure something out."

 **EPILOGUE**

James had to crane his neck to be able to see the tops of the huge doors in front of him. The mansion was, he could swear, even larger and definitely more foreboding than he could remember, throwing deep, perpetual shadows even in the bright midday sun. Perhaps it had been added onto-again. He swallowed hard, feeling most of his newly-found courage seeping away and glanced at the red-haired woman at his side.

"Are we sure about this? I mean, really sure?"

She flicked him with her fan, "Of course! Now knock or I will!"

His shoulders sank, "Well, here goes everything..." and reached for the elaborate brass door knocker, giving it a few hearty swings.

Moments later, one of the doors creaked open, and a young man whom James did not recognize poked his head out, "May I help you?"

Fighting the long-ingrained urge to run for the hills, James straightened himself as best he could, reminding himself why they were there, "I am James, son and heir of this estate. I have returned to-"

"Oh my goodness!" the young butler cried, "It's you! I thought you looked familiar! I've been taught to keep an eye out for you, Master James! I uh, just started here a couple weeks ago." he turned to his companion, "And you must be Jessibelle! You're even more beautiful than your picture, milady!"

Fanning herself, she replied in a soft drawl, "My stars! Aren't you just the sweetest thing!"

"Are my parents home?" asked James, deep down almost hoping they weren't.

With a bow, the butler said, "Yes, they've just about to take luncheon, I believe. Please! Come in! They'll be ecstatic to know you're here, and with your fiancee too!"

He ushered them inside, shutting the heavy doors and led the way down one of the expansive side halls. Jessie slipped her arm through James' and gave him a sly, enthusiastic grin. He tried to return the smile, but only managed a halfhearted one.

She rolled her eyes and whispered as she adjusted a petticoat, "Calm down! We went over everything. We've got this in the bag!"

"I sure hope you're right Jess..."

A few minutes later they stopped at a large, delicately carved door and the butler slipped inside for a moment before stepping back out and holding the door open for them.

"They'll see you now!" he smiled.

James glanced at Jessie, and she gave him a warmer, more encouraging smile. That look alone restored a good deal of his mental resolve. Drawing a deep breath, summoning every ounce of strength he could muster, he led her into the room and into the hornet's nest...


End file.
